Posted by By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
Barely 48 hours after the National Assembly was inaugurated, all seems not well with the new Senate, as a group of Senators have raised alarm over an alleged plot to create disaffection in the Senate, with a view to ridiculing the person of the Senate President, David Mark.
Barely 48 hours after the National Assembly was inaugurated, all seems not well with the new Senate, as a group of Senators have raised alarm over an alleged plot to create disaffection in the Senate, with a view to ridiculing the person of the Senate President, David Mark.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, the group led by Senators Smart Adeyemi, Grace Bent, Chris Anyanwu, Simeon Oduoye, Joel Danlami and Iyabode Obasanjo, revealed that it has it on good authority that quite a number of forces within the opposition camp were determined to divide the Senate, even as Senator Anyanwu declared that no nation could develop on the unending diet of instability and trouble.
Former Benue State governor, George Akume and Mark had on Tuesday contested for the position of the Senate President. Although Mark eventually floored Akume by 68 to 39 votes, the gang up by ex-governors who are now Senators against him was not lost on Mark and his army of supporters on the floor of the Senate.
However, at a ‘thank you' dinner held in honour of the new Senate President on Wednesday, which had in attendance all the ex-governors turned Senators, except Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi of Kaduna State , Akume said 'I have been asked at a very short notice to make a speech. I rushed to Makurdi and rushed back because I wanted to be in attendance. Asking me to talk is imperative. I know Mark very well; I call him G-1 because he started the struggle for the enthronement of democracy.
'Don't be afraid of his background, he is a thoroughbred politician, sufficiently civilized, preparatory to the new role (of his new office). It was the right decision to have elected him. I sought to lead because I thought I was sufficiently prepared to preside, you (Senators) thought otherwise. I agree with you. I will support him fully and be part of a Senate that will be second to none in the history of this country."
But by Thursday evening, a group of Senators who insisted that they were ready to ensure that Mark completes his four year term as the Senate President without a hitch, raised an alarm over a plot against the new Senate President, even as they called on the Nigerian Media to discountenance what they described as misinformation that the opposition camp was set to release.
Speaking one after another, Senator Adeyemi said 'I appeal to Nigerian Journalists to appreciate the fact that more than any other group of professionals; they have a stake in ensuring the stability of this present administration. Journalists must ensure that the democracy they laboured to enthrone is not thwarted by any group.
'We have information that some forces outside the Senate are determined to divide the Senate and cast aspersion on the person of the Senate President. They have falsified documents about his person so that Nigerians can have doubt about his person. Quite a number of forces in the opposition camp are determined to place advertorials to discredit the Senate President and divide the Senate. But we are equally determined to ensure that the instability that characterized the previous Senate was not witnessed in our time. We are ready to swim with Mark and to ensure that all leadership of the Senate completes their four year terms respectively."
Senator Danlami on his part said 'before the election of the new Senate President, there is a cabal that wanted to hijack the Senate. We checkmated them because there was no way we could have voted for Akume because he is new to the legislature. In any case, the President of the country is a former governor, his vice, a former governor and then the Senate President, another former governor, it will be unfair for the country for us to have them in that order."
Senator Anyanwu on her part said 'we must stop this culture of shooting ourselves in the foot. The hope of Nigerians can only be sustained if the National Assembly in general and the Senate in particular is stable and productive.
'It is too early to begin these things that will undermine the Senate. God's time will be the best. What will be, will be. If God wanted them to lead, they would have gotten it."