The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the cabal in the Buhari Presidency were plotting to arrest Senate President Bukola Saraki as Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan further alleged that the ruling APC was putting to use “compromised security agencies and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to invite, arrest and detain Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
“This is just as the PDP has unraveled fresh facts confirming that the
pressure by the Presidency for the reconvening of the Senate is out of a
sinister motive and not for any emergency in the approval of the budget
of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019
election.
“The fresh plot to detain the two presiding officers is part of renewed
design to keep them out of circulation, ahead of Senate resumption, so
as to enable the heavily induced APC senators, who are now in the
minority, to throw up two of their members as Senate President and
Deputy Senate President respectively on the excuse that Saraki and
Ekweremadu failed to show up for proceedings in the Senate.
“The PDP notes that the new plot to cage Saraki and Ekweremadu, in
devilish rehash of the Tuesday July 24, 2018 hostage-taking and invasion
of their official residences by security agencies is coming after the
August 7, 2018 failed attempt to use security forces to take control of
the leadership of the Senate.
“Apart from plots to arrest and detain Saraki and Ekweremadu, the PDP has
also been made aware of plans to use the EFCC and security forces to
clamp down on their family members, including their wives and siblings
as well as close associate, all in the effort to weaken their resolve.
“Moreover, investigations by the PDP further confirm that the insistence
of the APC-led Federal Government on the emergency reconvening of the
National Assembly, ostensibly to consider INEC’s budget for the 2019
election, is part of APC’s thicker plot to execute their premeditated
‘coup’ on the leadership of the Senate.
“PDP was further informed that contrary to claims by the APC and the
Presidency, INEC actually submitted the budget to the presidency since
February 2018, only for the Presidency to submit it to the National
Assembly in July when the legislature was already going on recess; with
a view to enmesh it in a needless controversy.
“Furthermore, the PDP counsels Acting President Yemi Osinbajo to stop
acting saint, as Nigerians are aware that he is part and parcel of the
actors behind the sordid developments playing out in the National
Assembly.
“The PDP invites Nigerians and the international community to note the
activities of the APC and the Buhari Presidency, which have continued to
put the unity and stability of our nation as well as our hard-earned
democracy under serious stress.
“In all, the PDP cautions the APC and power mongers at the Presidency to
know that Nigerians have seen through their evil intentions and will
continue to firmly resist them by standing for democracy and the unity
of our nation at all times,” the statement read in full.
