8th Senate: Fallout From Saraki’s Elections

The presiding officers of the 8th Senate have emerged in the persons of Sen Bukola Saraki as Senate president and Sen Ike Ekweremadu as deputy Senate president. Adesuwa Tsan writes on matters arising after the elections

In the countdown to the inauguration and election of presiding officers for the 8th National Assembly, there was a heated campaign by the two major groups: the Unity Forum for Sen Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe) and Sen George Akume (APC, Benue) for the posts of Senate president and deputy respectively and Like Minds Senators for Sen Bukola Saraki (APC, Kwara) for Senate president.

In an election characterised by intrigues and accusations of betrayal, Sen Saraki of the majority All Progressives Congress (APC) was elected with a bloc vote from senators of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while members of the Unity Forum Group were at the International Conference Centre, venue of a purported meeting with the president, Muhammadu Buhari, which never held.

Even after it became clear that they had been outsmarted by the Like Minds and their candidate installed, 28 members of the Senate, including Ahmad Lawan, did not show up at the National Assembly while the swearing in was ongoing. The party leadership later sent a message that it is not in support of the election of the new Senate president and was contemplating disciplinary action for its members that shunned the invitation for the meeting.

 

Unity Forum Protests

In reaction, members of the Unity Forum Group have been asking some questions about the legality of the process that led to the emergence of Saraki as Senate president.

Soon after the deputy clerk of the Senate, Adedotun Durojaiye, swore in the 28 APC senators who were not present the previous day under the scrutiny of Senate president Saraki, protested against the election process.

The 28 senators that were sworn in include Senate president contestant, Ahmad Lawan; spokesman of Unity Forum, Barnabas Gemade; Abdullahi Aliero, George Akume, Isiaka Adeleke, Oluremi Tinubu, Solomon Akande-Adeola and Shehu Sani.

Shortly after, Sen Kabir Marafa (APC, Zamfara) rose under Order 15 and 43 of the Senate standing orders said his privilege as a senator was breached when the clerk of the National Assembly went ahead to conduct elections in absence of many APC lawmakers, though he was aware that they were supposed to be meeting with the president at the conference centre.

He stated, “Yesterday, the 9th of June 2015, was slated for the inauguration of the 8th Assembly. At the same time, Mr President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the leader of the All Progressives Congress and the party which controls the majority of this Senate, and members of the party were summoned by the president through a signed message to all members of the APC.

“Mr President, while I was away, I and a lot of members of this Senate, especially of APC extraction, this Senate went ahead to commence the process of inauguration, thereby infringing on my rights by disenfranchising me.”

He further stated that he was worried that media reports said he was absent at the inauguration, thereby portraying him “as some kind of irresponsible member who excused himself from an event that was well publicised,” thereby “causing unwarranted embarrassment for me, my family members that I deliberately stayed away.”

He was, however, ruled out of order by the Senate president who said he did not follow the proper process of raising the order. He was supposed to have consulted with the presiding officer before raising the point of order.

His order was also countered by Senator Danjuma Goje, who noted that “the clerk read the proclamation sent by the president,” adding, “Let it be on record that whoever decided to go on a meeting then is on his own.”

Another attempt was made to make an issue out of the inauguration by the spokesman of Unity Group, Sen Barnabas Gemade. Still relying on Order 15, he stressed that the events of that day could cause disunity in the chamber if not properly addressed.

He stated that in the 7th Senate, there was unity in the chamber even though they belonged to many parties, stressing that the unity of the Senate “is very vital to the progress of the Senate and it doesn’t arise only by intricacies of one’s desire of having their way without caring about others.”

He argued that they had been assured that the clerk had been approached to give “a reasonable delay” to the proclamation while they went for the meeting.”

His argument was also dismissed by the Senate president who noted that it had already been addressed when it was raised by Sen Marafa.

Later on, Gemade told journalists that the election that produced Saraki as president of the Senate was flawed because it was not done with the proper quorum in place.

He argued that while one third of the total number of senators is required to form a quorum for plenary, two third is required for election of a Senate president as it is for impeachment and that 36 senators who voted for Saraki did not form a quorum.

Taking it further, Sen George Akume said history was made by the election of the 9th of June.

Saying it is a constitutional matter, he added, “This is the first time we are witnessing such a sad event. It is most unprecedented in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.” Akume also queried the decision of the clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, “to go ahead with the election, knowing fully well that a quorum had not been formed.”

 

Like Minds’ Moves for reconciliation

Apparently aware that many toes have been stepped on, spokesman of the Like Minds Senators Group, supporters of Senate president Saraki, Sen Dino Melaye, said “you don’t beat a child and expect that child not to cry.”

“They are our brothers and sisters and we will embrace them,” he said while speaking of his colleagues’ protests against the election process. “We will work towards one united Senate,” he added.

He, however, dismissed any argument that a quorum was not formed, saying Order 10 of the Senate standing rules clearly stipulates one third members to form a quorum for election of principal officers.

Speaking on the meeting that was called by the APC while the inauguration was ongoing, Melaye expressed the view that it was just a case of name-dropping.

“It was a calculated attempt for some other things to happen. Let me tell you that Mr President will not give two contrary opinions, especially one that is against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is not true that we disrespected the president of Nigeria. There is no official communication between the president and the management of the National Assembly.”

 

The battle ahead

For now, the Unity Group are bent on their position that the election of Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate president was illegal as no quorum was formed. Feelers reaching LEADERSHIP include a plan to go to the court to have the issue resolved. What is obvious, however, is that the Senate may be on its way to witnessing a turbulent House, unless all warring parties reach a compromise.

 

8th Senate: Fallout From Saraki’s Elections