THE MEMBERS of the Joint Caucus of The All Progressive Congress (APC) and Labour Party Senators in the Senate are stoutly behind the policies and programmes of the President Mohammadu Buhari's administration. Our support is aimed at actualizing the promised desired change that Nigerians voted for last year.
We are shocked at the totally partisan reaction of our colleagues from the minority party, PDP, to the on-going investigations and recovery of public funds meant for the prosecution of the war against insurgency.
Contrary to the assertion of our PDP colleagues, the investigation is not a partisan war against a particular political party. It is no longer a news item that there was a wanton diversion of public funds meant for fighting insurgency to fund campaigns of PDP. Members of the PDP were the sole and iniquitous beneficiaries of this diversion.
Seeking to recover diverted public funds is neither dictatorial nor against the rule of law. In all the actions, programmes and policies of the PMB-led APC Federal Government, no PDP member has been unjustly arrested or imprisoned on mere allegations.
On the contrary, we are daily regaled with news of millions and billions of naira of public funds traced to accounts of individuals some of whom have accepted to return such diverted public funds.
As law abiding and patriotic citizens, we cherish the rule of law and the separation of powers among the different arms of government. Political interference based on partisan consideration must be eschewed.
Members of the joint caucus of the APC and Labour Party will always give their best in support of the only President Nigeria has. We plead with our PDP colleagues to rise above partisan inclinations so that together, we all can bring to fruition the positive changes that our people seek and deserve.
PDP senators withdraw support for Buhari's govt
— 22nd June 2016Saraki, Ekweremadu for trial June 27
From Fred Itua and Godwin Tsa,Abuja
SENATORS elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, formally resolved to withhold their support for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.
They cited the actions of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government to- wards their party members since taking over the central government as reasons.
The resolution was taken following the court summon on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, along with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules.
The Senators who met at a secret location in Abuja said they would communicate their new position to the national leadership of the party, after which it would be publicly announced at a press conference.
A source at the meeting said a delegation comprising one Senator from each of the geo-political zones, along with Ekweremadu, would convey the position of the PDP Senate caucus to the leadership and report back to- day.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja , yesterday, officially summoned Saraki, Ekweremadu, former clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa and outgoing Deputy Clerk, Ben Efeturi, over their alleged involvement in the forgery of Senate Standing Order in 2015.
The summon was effected through a substituted service which was pasted at the corridor along the Senate President's Office. According to the summon, Saraki, Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and Efeturi are to appear before the court on Monday, June 27.
The inability of the Federal Government to effect service of court summons yesterday stalled their arraignment before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the alleged forgery of the Senate Rules.
When the case came up yesterday, before Justice Yusuf Halilu none of the accused persons was in court and no lawyer appeared for them.
The prosecution counsel, David Kaswe, attributed the development to the inability of the bailiff to effect service on the accused persons.
Parts of the summons read: "By oral application dated 21st June, 2016 moved by D.E Kaswe, Principal State Counsel Federal Ministry of Justices in this case praying the court for:
"An order of this Honourable Court granting leave to the complainant/ applicant to serve the criminal summon on the defendants by substituted means to wit by pasting it at the Notice Board of the National Assembly Three Arms Zone, Abuja.
"And after hearing D.E Kaswe with A.A Kaltingo Esq, counsel for the complainant/ Applicant moved the court orally for the above relief. "
Also included in the summon, were statements already volunteered by Maikasuwa and Efeturi on their alleged involvement in the forgery.
Maikasuwa in his own statement said: "The Senate Standing Orders used in seventh Senate was not known to me. The Clerk of the Senate is in position to know. I was not aware of the amendment that was made to the Standing rules."
However, Efeturi said the Senate leadership handed the 2015 Standing Rules as amended by their convention and practice to him.
But the Senate in its first reaction to the allegation, stated that amendment of the standing rules was done by the National Assembly bureaucracy.
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PDP to Buhari: Tell EFCC to stop harassing our members, condemns freezing of Fayose's account
The Peoples Democratic Party Governors' Forum has expressed strong displeasure at the spate of harassment of its members by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, charging President Muhammadu Buhar to call the anti-corruption agency to order. It spoke through a statement issued by its Chairman and Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko.
The forum said the EFCC cannot interfere with the account of a sitting governor, stressing, it was contrary to Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution. The EFCC had frozen the accounts of the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose. The Forum described the freezing of the personal accounts of Fayose by the EFCC as "gross abuse of the constitution".
In the statement, the forum averred that if the intention was to suggest any criminal infraction or fraud against the governor, the agency should have sheathed its sword till Fayose vacates office. The constitution shields a sitting governor from investigation and prosecution for criminal breach until the person vacates office.
The forum noted that the country was drifting towards totalitarianism, adding that the account of any individual could only be frozen after a court of competent jurisdiction had so ruled or an interim order by a court of competent jurisdiction was granted to the anti-graft agency.
The PDP and the ruling APC government have been engaged in a running battle fought mainly on the front of ati-corruption with the PDP alleging that the anti-graft fight was lopsided and targeted at its members.
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