“There Will Be No Peace Until Saraki Resigns As Senate President”

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, August 2nd, 2018

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Sen. Abu Ibrahim (APC-Katsina) says there will no peace in the Senate until Bukola Saraki resigns his position as Senate President.

Speaking to newsmen on Thursday, Senator Ibrahim sarcastically commended Saraki for honourably leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) but asked him to do the needful by resigning honourably too.

His words:

“I think it is commendable that he has left the party. He has chosen the path of survival because it is the issue of political survival not anything for Nigeria.

“But next is for him to resign as Senate President, because by all conventions all over the world, the majority party produces the leadership; Senate President, the Majority Leader and others.

“Again, let him be gentleman enough and resign as Senate President.

“If he does not, we will never have peace in that senate because it is absolutely clear that APC has majority to produce the leadership.

“I hear the PDP claiming majority, but it is crystal clear that APC has majority. We will have more members. We will conduct two bye-elections and we will have the two members.

“We also have some alliance with APGA. It is clear that APC has majority.

“APC with majority should produce the leadership in the Senate. 49 cannot produce the leadership.

“Saraki should resign as Senate President.”

Ibrahim also debunked an allegation that some Senators attempted to break into the Senate chamber on Wednesday to reconvene plenary.

“How do you break into the chamber? If we like we can reconvene legally because it is legal for us to reconvene.

“We do not need to break into the chamber when we have the number. I will never subscribe to that.We can reconvene. The rules are there that if we are up to 30 we can reconvene.

“Why should we break into the chamber when we can reconvene legally and do what we want to do.

“It is legal. I do not see why anybody should contemplate that we can break into the chamber.

“I do not know about it and even if I know about it, I will say it is unwise.

“However, if the leadership does not ask for peace, it will not get peace. Peace is a function of leadership.

“I have been in the Senate for about four times. I cannot allow anybody to manipulate me. I cannot take it.”

“Nobody was elected as Senate President. We all came here as senators. So we have equal footing. We gave you leadership.

“If you fail to give us the right leadership and if majority of us don’t want you anymore, you have to leave.

“Saraki was elected by us. At any time majority of us say he should go he has to go

“There are some losses that will give you sleepless night. There are others that will not give you sleepless night. We have made our calculation and I am confident that we will not lose.

“For the past two years, Saraki has undermined the government.

“He has allowed frivolous motions to attack the President and the government. His continued stay as senate president did not augur well for the APC government.

“For somebody to be in the same party, same government and he did not see anything good in the President was disturbing.