Senators in rowdy session

Senators yesterday took partisan positions on the involvement of the military in the yet-to-be concluded general elections.

They were close to exchanging blows in the chamber over alleged militarisation of the process.

Another issue that pitted the lawmakers against one another was an alleged inconsistent application of electoral laws by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tempers rose. Discordant and acrimonious voices became the order in the hallowed chamber, which was sharply divided along party lines, with All Progressives Congress (APC) senators squaring up to their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts, for a possible offensive.

Senate President Bukola Saraki came to the rescue to no avail. The lawmakers shouted and threw punches into the air.

The row was sparked by a motion on “The militarisation of the Nigerian electoral process and the inconsistent application of electoral laws by the INEC”.

It was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) with senators Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia North), Matthew Urhoghide (Edo South), Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East), Clifford Ordia (Edo Central), Ahmed Ogembe (Kogi Central), Biodum Olujimi (Ekiti South) and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi Central) as co-sponsors.

Melaye claimed that the ADC to the Governor of Kogi State “mounted a roadblock with over 200 security agents, some of who were fake” on the eve of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

Many PDP members, he said, were denied access into Kogi State.

According to him, a former governor of the state, Idris Wada, was forced to return to Abuja when his security aides were arrested.

He went on: “Some senators here and members of the House of Representatives were stopped from coming into Lokoja. I had to consult some celestial powers and that was how I got into Kogi State and my village through celestial powers.

“This is not about PDP or APC. This is about Nigeria. Where is NPN? where is UPN? All these things will come and go. The Senate cannot look the other way while these things are ongoing. Lecturers and Youth Corps members were killed during the elections.”

“It is pathetic that there is no national broadcast from the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We must not have this kind of elections again in this country, Melaye concluded.

The Kogi West senator prayed the Senate to:

• condemn the “massive” use of military forces in the national electoral process;
• urge the INEC to ensure the unrestricted and consistent application of all electoral laws without bias to a candidate or a party in all elections;
• direct the Senate Committee on INEC to investigate all perceived inconsistent application of electoral laws by INEC in the 2019 elections; and
• urge the President to give assent to the recent amendment to the Electoral Act to ensure a level playing field and adoption of equal standards in our national elections for a strong and peaceful democracy in Nigeria.

Seconding the motion, Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan said the Senate has a role to ensure the provision of necessary legislative intervention.

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Lawan said: “We are here to smoothen processes in all affairs of governance. The challenges of elections in Nigeria have been here with us.

“We should consider those things we feel need the intervention of the Senate.

”I believe that our process remains a journey. Our electoral process needs a lot of refining and fine-tuning.

“The executive is also concerned. Here, we have an opportunity to discuss with INEC what the challenges have been so that we can have an evaluation of the entire situation.

“The ball is in our court. We should review what happened and see where legislative intervention is required. Then we will put it up before the executive.

“When INEC postponed the election, we were concerned because it was becoming a trend that must be stopped.”

Trouble started when Minority Leader Biodun Olujimi spoke about election rigging.

Mrs Olujimi said: “What happened on the 23rd of February has been captured by Melaye. We are Nigerians and we are in Nigeria. For this country to favour us, we must speak truth to power.

“Whoever is siding what happened during the elections because of partisanship, he or she is unfair to Nigeria.

“That election was a sham. There was no way that election would have been an advancement of what we had in 2015. INEC was inconsistent. They used different methods in many places. They used EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) and Civil Defence (Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps) to rout people.

“Someone, somewhere, has refused to give assent to the electoral amendment. During the elections, rigging was legalised. We need to look at that as a legislature.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Being a member of a political party doesn’t make you more Nigerian. Nigeria has to move forward. APC must surrender itself to the processes in Nigeria.”

Mrs. Olujimi’s attempt to reel out the shortcomings of the elections did not go down well with her colleagues, especially from the APC camp.

Lawan took the floor and called for caution.

The Yobe North senator said: “There is an established process already in place. Whoever has any grievances can explore the options that have been made available. I don’t think this issue should be permitted here.”

He reminded the Senate that the motion was specific, stressing that extraneous issues should not be brought in.

Fearing degeneration of the debate, Saraki said: “We have an opportunity to take this motion and find a solution. Those contributing should not deviate from the issue so that we don’t have a turbulent session. Let me restrict us.”

Saraki’s plea for decorum failed as it appeared that the senators had made up their minds about the motion.

Senator Mao Ohuabunwa said that the Senate should treat prayers of the motion dispassionately to ensure credible elections and a level-playing field.

The Abia North senator said that it was commendable that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, had set up a panel of enquiry on the role of the military

The four prayers raised by Melaye created another round of rancour.

APC senators appeared to have voted heavily against the prayers but Saraki overruled them to pave the way for the adoption of the prayers.