Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and Speaker,
House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, have described as “a desecration of
the legislative sanctity,” the on-going situation in Benue State in which eight
out of the 30 members of the State House of Assembly have commenced impeachment
process against the state governor and with the support of the police, the 22
other members who constitute more than two-third majority are kept away from
the assembly complex.
In a statement jointly signed by their aides in
charge of media, Yusuph Olaniyonu (Saraki) and Turaki Hassan (Dogara), they
also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to order and stop
them being used to achieve political purposes.
“We have monitored closely the development in Benue
State in which the impeached Speaker, Terkimbir Ikyange, led seven other
members to serve impeachment notice on the state Governor, Samuel Ortom, while
the 22 other members who constitute more than two-third majority have been
prevented from having access to the chamber. We believe this is illegality and
does not conform to parliamentary procedure on impeachment.
“We also note with surprise the role of the Police
in this undemocratic event in which the minority is seeking to impeach a
Governor against the position of the majority. We believe it is the sacred
institution of the legislature that is being desecrated and rubbished in all
these negative developments.
“The situation in Benue State House of Assembly has
grave implication for the nation’s democracy and it represents a throw-back to
the period of dictatorship in our country. It also represents how the Nigeria
Police are being misused to achieve political end. In a statement recently, the
Presidency derisively referred to an era in the past where a minority number of
legislators was used to impeach Governors who were unfriendly with the Federal
Government. What we are seeing in Benue now is a return to that inglorious era.
“We believe this unlawful and unconstitutional move
to impeach Ortom by a minority should be condemned by all lovers of democracy,
at home and abroad. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the police to
order and prevent a break-down of law and order. We also call on friends of
Nigeria in the international community to lend their voice in condemning the
perpetration of illegalities and actions that can subvert our democracy.
“There is already a tense atmosphere in Benue State
following the recent killings. Nobody should encourage any action or move which
may exacerbate the security situation in the North Central State. As leaders of
the Federal legislature, we are ready to work with our colleagues in both
chambers of the National Assembly to prevent any attempt to destroy any state
legislature or use it to derail democracy,” the two leaders of the National Assembly said.
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