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.
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.
Source: The Sun
