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| SENATE PRESIDENT DAVID MARK; PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN AND EX PDP NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, ALHAJI BAMANGA TUKUR AT THE PDP FAMILY DINNER IN ABUJA |
THE Senate may witness a change of leadership if the threat by aggrieved senators from the two main political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to impeach Senate President David Mark for not protecting them in the just concluded party primaries is carried out.
If successful, the plot may see the APC producing the Senate President in addition to the House of Representatives speakership. This is coming as 168 members of the House of Representatives have
If successful, the plot may see the APC producing the Senate President in addition to the House of Representatives speakership. This is coming as 168 members of the House of Representatives have
endorsed the plan to impeach President Goodluck Jonathan.
Some of the vocal and prominent PDP senators, who had defended the party with every available means whenever the opposition APC senators raised eye-brow over some of President Jonathan’s policies were surprised that both the Senate leadership and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party could not reciprocate the gesture. Instead the senators were left at the mercy of state governors.
Consequently, the aggrieved senators in both the PDP and APC, who lost return tickets at the various party primaries have decided to move against the Senate leadership for not protecting them during the primaries.
It’s a rumour — Mark
However, Senate President Mark has dismissed the alleged plot to unseat him, saying the claimed plot existed only in the imagination of those parading the rumour.
The alleged plot to remove Mark came on the heels of the impending plan to commence impeachment of President Jonathan by some senators, which is expected to be presented before the Senate on resumption this week.
In what may look like a change of gear, it was gathered that the aggrieved senators, with some PDP senators now joining their ranks, have decided to rather kick-start the removal of the Senate leadership instead, starting with Mark.
A senator, who was privy to the deal, yesterday evening, told Chat212: “The plan has changed. We never expected the party to treat us this way. We stood by the party when there was turbulence occasioned by the emergence of the new PDP.
“There was a plot then to impeach the same leadership but we stepped in and stopped it with our sheer number. In fact, we used our personal contacts to talk to the organisers and they backed down. We prevailed on them not to rock the boat more so as the Seventh Senate had just a few months to go.
“We thought the party would take note of what we did and also note our loyalty to the party and reward us. Rather, we were not even protected in these primaries. Can you imagine the party leaving us at the mercy of state governors?”
Saraki or Akume as Mark’s replacement
It was gathered that the aggrieved senators were considering replacing Senator Mark with the Senate Minority Leader, George Akume (Benue) or another staunch member of the APC and Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Bukola Saraki (Kwara).
The choice of either Senator Akume or Senator Bukola was to ensure that “the Senate Presidency does not leave the North Central.”
Support for Tambuwal
The Senators also vowed to mobilize support for the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to ensure that he is not removed by the PDP and the presidency.
The support for Tambuwal was in line with last week’s judgement by the court that the PDP governors that left the party should not leave their seats.
Although the Senate will resume plenary tomorrow, the aggrieved lawmakers have not fixed a date to execute the planned impeachment plot. They were also mute on whether or not the plot against Jonathan is still on the front burner and if it would be tabled in the chamber this week, contrary to Senator Alkali Jajere’s interview with newsmen two weeks ago.
But reacting to the alleged plot to unseat the Senate President, Mark, his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan dismissed the alleged plot, saying, “There’s no such plot.”
50 senators lose return tickets
About 50 serving senators lost their bid to return to the red chamber following their inability to pick their parties’ tickets.
Only two senators, Mark and the Senate Chief Whip, Bello Gwarzo, have survived re-election since 1999. Every election year since 2003, the Senate had witnessed exodus of many of the 109 legislators who fail to return starting with losing re-election tickets and then the election proper. A similar scenario is expected in 2015 when the Eight National Assembly will be inaugurated.
Why? Official results of the primaries across the 109 senatorial districts in the country show that about 50 of the serving senators failed to pick return tickets due to defeats occasioned by high-wire manoeuvre by state governors and those highly placed in government. It is also not certain whether some of those who picked the tickets would win in the 2015 elections following the outcry that the process was manipulated to favour some.
Old timers to be missed
Going by the outcome of the primaries, all the three serving senators from states like Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, Cross River, Edo and Kebbi lost out completely by either being defeated by new contenders in the race or schemed out by powerful forces in their respective states.
Old timers whose absence may affect the Senate include the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba (PDP Cross River Central) who has been one of the pillars of the Red Chamber; the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Solomon Ita Enang (PDP Akwa Ibom North East) and Bello Mohammed Tukur (PDP Adamawa Central).
In states like Abia, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo, Kaduna, Kogi and Plateau, two out of the three serving senators lost out in like manner.
For instance, Senators Uche Chukwumerije (PDP Abia North), Emmanuel Aguariavwodo (PDP Delta Central), Igwe Paulinus Nwagu (PDP Ebonyi Central), Gilbert Nnaji (PDP Enugu East) and Nenadi Esther Usman (PDP Kaduna South) would be missed in the Senate.
Other senators caught in the web of the impending mass exodus from the Senate next June arising from their failure to get return tickets include Margery Okadigbo (PDP, Anambra North); Nurudeen Abatemi Usman ( PDP, Kogi Central); Boluwaji Kunlere (PDP, Ondo South) and Mudashiru Oyetunde Husain (APC Osun West).
Senators who opted for governorship
However, some of the non-returning 50 senators did not seek to return to the National Assembly because they sought for governorship seats of their respective states.
In this category are Senators Aisha Jummai Arhassan (APC, Taraba North), Simeon Ajibola (PDP, Kwara South), Jibrila Mohammed Bindowo (APC, Adamawa North), Benedict Ayade (PDP, Cross River North), Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP, Delta North), Ayogu Eze ( PDP Enugu North), Gyang Pwajok (PDP Plateau North), Umaru Dahiru ( APC Sokoto South) and Bagudu Abubakar Atiku (APC Kebbi Central).
Ndoma Egba who is currently in the category of senators that may not return going by the result of his Cross River Central senatorial primary which he had already appealed against, had in October, admonished stake holders in the polity to do the needful and stop high turnover of senators every election year in the interest of the country’s developing democracy.
Ndoma-Egba lamented at a media chat with journalists that not up to 30 of the 109 Senators elected at different times from the 4th Senate in 1999 to the current 7th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, got re-elected.
The development according to him, has led to massive haemorrhage and massive erosion of institutionalization in the Senate and by extension, in the National Assembly since similar high turnover of federal lawmakers every election year also happens in the House of Representatives.
He specifically stated that only Senator David Mark representing Benue South Senatorial District of Benue State and Bello Gwarzo from Kano North Senatorial District, have always been returned by their constituents which made them to currently be the reservoir of parliamentary knowledge in the Senate from whom other senators learn from.
High turnover of lawmakers
According to him, the high turnover of parliamentarians at both chambers, if not checked by Nigerian electorate would continue to hamper the needed vibrancy and capacity of the parliament for good governance through constructive legislative approach in the nation’s democracy.
He said: “What constitute the institutional memory of parliament is the aggregate memory of its members. What has been our experience? People say National Assembly is not doing well, why are we not doing well even though I don’t agree with them? From 1999 till date, we have only two senators who had survived. They are Senators David Mark and Bello Gwarzo. Secondly, Nigeria lost 107 senators and we did not notice. All the institutional memory of the lost 107 senators have been eroded. When memory is eroded, capacity is equally eroded.
“In the United States, if about four or seven senators lose their positions during an election year, it is an upheaval but here in Nigeria, there is no election year that we have up to 30 senators who would return to their position. This development constitutes massive haemorrhage, massive erosion of institutionalization.
“What have we benefited from the experience of David Mark and Bello Gwarzo? The Senate had achieved stability and peace. Before 2007, during the musical chair era, some days you could even have two senate presidents. One presiding over plenary in the morning and the other emerging before the session.
“However, from 2007, because we have these two very experienced senators who started since 1999 now at the helms of affairs in the Senate, we have stability in the upper chamber. There has been no scandal from 2007 till date and Nigeria has benefited a lot from that stability. The stability in the Senate also stabilizes the polity.”
APC Reps’ plot to impeach Jonathan thickens
Meanwhile, 24 hours to the resumption of the House of Representatives, the impeachment plot by members of the opposition APC against President Jonathan is gathering momentum.
There are indications that about 20 PDP members in the House may defect to the APC today.
Lawmakers of other parties in the House, who are aggrieved that they lost out at the recently concluded primaries, are also decamping to APC.
One of the arrowheads of the impeachment project who spoke to Chat212 confirmed that the idea is not “dead” as being insinuated in certain quarters. However, the impeachment notice may not be tabled before the House yet as the group has not gotten the required two-third.
The lawmaker said so far, 168 members of the House have appended their signatures to the impeachment notice.
“It is uncharitable for anyone to insinuate that the impeachment plot is over. We are serious and for your information, the president has committed impeachable offences. Right now, 168 members have signed the paper. There is impunity and you saw what he used the police to do here at the National Assembly. There is no going back. Has the Jonathan administration stopped corruption? Is the widespread insecurity over? You can see for yourself and we will show him the way out.”
PDP members to boost impeachment process
He said the impeachment process is being boosted by the recruitment of more PDP members particularly those who lost out in the just concluded primaries, adding “One thing you must be aware is that even Mr. President’s loyalists who could not secure return tickets to the House have declared intention to join us in the project”.
Asked how many had identified with the impeachment plot, the lawmaker responded “I can tell you that in Bayelsa, the president’s home state, five out of the six lawmakers lost at the primaries and majority of them will append their signatures. There are some of his (Jonathan’s) loyalists who before now could not see any wrongdoing by the president but I’m telling you they have now seen the light and are ready to work with us. This scenario I have painted here is obtainable in virtually every state. There are many honourable members who were hesitant initially but have bought into the project. I can tell you it is on course.”
Speaking further, the principal officer from North West disclosed that about 20 more members would defect to the APC on Tuesday.
On November 20 when the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Suleiman Abba invaded the National Assembly more than 120 lawmakers appended their signatures to the impeachment notice.
Most of the signatories were APC members who felt the Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal was ill-treated by the executive arm of government. Also, the APC Reps had compiled impeachable offences against Mr President which they plan to make public soon.
