Except there is a change in plan, the leadership of
the Senate will severe relationship with the Senior
Special Assistant to the President National
Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, and six of its
members, PREMIUM TIMES can report today.
the Senate will severe relationship with the Senior
Special Assistant to the President National
Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang, and six of its
members, PREMIUM TIMES can report today.
The six senators, who might be sanctioned
belonged to the self-styled Unity Forum and have
been lined up as prosecution witness in the court
alleged forgery case involving the President of the
Senate, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu
and two others.
They include Kabiru Marafa, Suleiman Hunkuyi,
Ahmed Lawan, Ajayi Borofice, Gbenga Ashafa and
Abdullahi Gumel.
The action is coming on the heels of the impending
trial of Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu for alleged
illegal alteration of Senate Standing Rule.
Also charged alongside the duo are the former Clerk
to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa and his
deputy, Benedict Efeturi.
A cross section of the All Progressives Congress
senators opposed the emergence of Mr. Saraki as
Senate president and Mr. Ekweremadu as the
deputy Senate president.
The duo emerged leaders of the upper legislature
against the permutation of the ruling party that
favoured Mr. Lawan for the Senate’s top job.
A top official of the Senate, who pleaded not to be
mentioned because he was not authorized to speak
on the matter, said the leadership of the red
chamber felt betrayed by Mr. Enang and the six
members.
“The body language of the leadership and most
members is that the affected members should be
suspended while Ita Enang should be expelled,” the
source told PREMIUM TIMES.
“Ita Enang cannot be giving credence to the
allegation that the Senate leaders are forgers and
criminals and still interface between the Senate and
the presidency.
“He has only two options. He either steps down as
presidential liaison officer to the Senate and
proceed to testify or be expelled. He cannot testify
against the Senate leadership and still remain as a
liaison between the president and the upper
legislature.”
When contacted, Mr. Enang told PREMIUM TIMES
he had not done nothing wrong to warrant being
expelled by the leadership of the upper legislature,
saying he was merely performing his duties to the
country.
“I was listed first as a suspect and when the clerk
to the National Assembly made a statement that it
was he who did and not me, they left me and
thereafter listed me as a witness. I have nothing to
hide,” Mr. Enang said.
However, attempts to speak with Senate
spokesperson, Aliyu Abdulahi, failed as he did not
answer or return multiple calls made to his known
mobile telephone.
Messrs. Saraki, Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and
Efeturi were on June 27, arraigned before Justice
Haliru Yusuf of the Federal Capital Territory High
Court, Jabi, on a two-count charge of conspiracy
and forgery, contrary to Sections 97 and 362 of the
Penal Code Law respectively.
They were, however, granted bail before the court
adjourned its proceedings to July 12.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the Federal
Government would rely on the testimony of 14
witnesses, among them Senators and National
Assembly bureaucrats, at the trial of the four
persons.
Prosecution’s case against Saraki and his alleged
conspirators
According to court documents obtained by
PREMIUM TIMES, “it is the prosecution’s case
against the defendants that sometimes about the
9th day of June, 2015, the defendants conspired
among themselves to forge and indeed actually
forged the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as
amended) and caused the said forged document to
be circulated among elected senators for use during
the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National
Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The document – prosecution’s case summary –
was signed by a Principal State Counsel, D.E Kaswe
on behalf of the Minister of Justice and Attorney-
General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and is
among documents filed before the Abuja High
Court.
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/
headlines/206919-alleged-forgery-nigerian-senate-
plots-expel-buharis-aide-ita-enang-suspend-six-
senators.html
