Senator slams APC over query to Saraki

Chairman , Senate Committee on Banking , Insurance and other Financial Institutions, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim ((PDP, Kwara South) yesterday carpeted the National Working Committee ( NWC) of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), over purported query issued the Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Tuesday hours after he defected from the ruling party to the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).
The APC NWC had through its secretary, Mai Mala Buni based on resolution to that effect, released a purported query against Saraki on Tuesday night for allegedly breaching Article 21 of the party’s constitution which it said , led to the defection of its members in the National Assembly to other parties and lingering unhealthy relationship between the executive and legislature .
But Senator Ibrahim who incidentally was among the APC senators who defected from the party to PDP last week in a personally signed statement said APC got it wrong with the query he described as an afterthought and an academic exercise.
He said the query which has been overtaken by events, was in itself an affront and a violation of the constitutional right and freedom of the lawmakers .
He said: “It is pertinent to state that the issues raised in the query were in conflict with and complete violation of our constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association.
“All Senators who have defected from APC did so on their own free will.
As matured men and women, we took the decision to leave the APC by ourselves.
We did so because we felt that the party no longer represents the ideals that we once fought for.
“The Senators are political leaders in their own rights and they represent their different senatorial districts.
So, it is preposterous for the APC leadership to be writing that Dr. Saraki should be held responsible for the decision of my colleagues concerning their political careers.
“Is it Saraki that caused the antagonism between Sen.
Suleiman Hunkuyi and Kaduna state Governor, Nasir el-Rufai which made the senator to defect? Is it Saraki that caused the problem between Kogi Governor and Sen.
Dino Melaye when the party appeared helpless in calling the governor to order as he moves to annihilate the senator who contributed so much to his election? “Is it Saraki that compelled a man of Sen.
Abdullahi Danbaba of Sokoto’s standing to defect? Is it Saraki who forced Sen.
Monsurat Sunmonu from Oyo state to defect? Can Saraki be blamed for sen.
Abdulazeez Murtala Nyako’s defection after the senator had complained about the lack of equity and inclusiveness in the APC in Adamawa State? “One can give so many examples to demonstrate how the non-commital leadership of the APC looked on, without taking action to stop the sorry state of affairs that made the gale of defections inevitable.
“With regard to allegations on the conduct of proceedings in the National Assembly in general, and the senate in particular, it should be noted that the senate is a body of equal members and the Senate President is only a primus inter pares, first among equals.
The Senate President cannot impose any decision on the entire body.
“All decisions are that of the whole senate and not just one man.
It is for that reason that all motions and resolutions in the Assembly are taken through a voice vote and the majority always carries the day, including our decision to halt the screening of presidential nominees whose positions are not clearly slated for confirmation by the senate in the constitution.
So, nobody can blame the Senate President for any decision taken by the whole house.
It is a collective decision.
“Those who are raising issues on why the 2018 budget was delayed are behaving as if they were not in the country when heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) refused to defend their respective budgets promptly,” he said