Why APC Senators Dropped Plans To Impeach Saraki – Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan

Agency ReporterOctober 13, 2018

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Senators of the All Progressive Congress (APC) have dumped the initial plan of impeaching Bukola Saraki, the president of the 8th Senate.

Mr. Saraki who emerged the leader of the National Assembly has not been in good terms with the APC even while he was in their fold.

Since his emergence, against the wish of the ruling party, several attempts to oust the top lawmaker from his position have often met a brick wall.

His defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently made the APC to openly call on him to relinquish the position. Mr Saraki, however, vowed to remain in office because he enjoys the support of majority members of the chamber.

Threatening Saraki, the lawmakers of the ruling party vowed to oust the Senate President when the house resumed from recess on Tuesday. On resumption, no drama of sought has taken place thereby suggesting that the APC Senators may have backed down.

Addressing State House journalists on Friday, the Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, who heads the APC caucus at the upper chamber said they decided to drop the plans because of national interest which supersedes those of the party.

“We definitely have to bury our hatchets for us to work for Nigeria and Nigerians. Perhaps that might have informed the disappointment of many people that there will be a crisis in the National Assembly,” Mr. Lawan said after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I don’t know what informed your view to anticipate crisis but let me tell you that National Assembly will continue to remain focus on national issues, we must be patriotic, nationalistic.

“We must put national interest above individual, parochial or partisan interest.

“Let me also say that disagreements are usual. In fact, there are very practical components of any parliament, when you have two to three parties or even within parties, you will have views that may differ.

“It is traditional, it is usual for us to disagree. Maybe these disagreements may crop up and some other issues. But for now, our focus is on national interest.

“The National Assembly is a Nigerian parliament and therefore the best thing to do is to ensure that Nigerians gets a good deal and for now the good deal is for Nigeria to have all those pending requests of Mr President approved by the National Assembly.

“I think the national interest, for now, overrides any other interest.

“Our intention is to ensure that Mr President doesn’t lack from inactivity of the National Assembly. That whatever he requests, the fundamental aspects especially will be attended to. This is our determination both as APC senators. In fact as Senate and National Assembly.”