Saraki, Ike Ekweremadu Won’t Resign – Senate

The Senate has responded to the call by the Secretary-General of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, asking the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu to resign over the alleged forgery of the 2015 Standing Rules case against them.

The Senate on Thursday, June 30, said its leaders have no reason to resign as they were not mentioned by the petitioners in the case.

Lawal in his statement had cautioned the accused leaders of the Senate to stop portraying their arraignment as if the entire Senate is facing trial.

But as contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Upper Chamber insists that the forgery charges is an attempt to intimidate the legislature.

“We disagree with him on this position and we maintain our earlier stand that it is the Senate that is the target of the present attempt to intimidate the legislature to force a leadership change in the Senate,” the statement said.

“Mr. Babachir Lawal should tell us how reasonable it is to conclude that when the President of Nigeria and the Vice President are being jointly tried in a suit whose outcome can remove them from office, it is not the Buhari government that is being targeted?

“It is also imperative to clearly state that contrary to the claim by the SGF, neither the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, nor Senator Ike Ekweremadu was mentioned by the petitioners, the statements by those interviewed by the police or even the police report.”

In their earlier reactions to the alleged forgery, Saraki had claimed that a cabal has taken control of the Buhari administration while Ekewremadu accused the President of exhibiting dictatorial tendencies.