From Mohammed Ismail, Abuja
In a deft political move to stem any unsavory action, the leadership of the National Assembly said it will has not fixed a date for a plenary session in order to discus some important national issues including deliberations on INEC budget.
Polical analysts believe that the move by the NASS leadership was intended to frustrate a planned and impending move by some elements averse to the leadership of senate president Bukola Saraki to remove him from office.
Saraki has since his controversial election as senate president been waging a sustained running battle against the presidency and his erstwhile political party APC, culminating in his defection to the main opposition political party, a fortnight ago.
Rumors of the impending cancellation of the said plenary, started filtering yesterday when the rumor mill became awash with speculations suggesting that the pregnant and portentous Tuesday’s plenary will not hold.
Political bookmakers have surmised that the plenary would be stormy, as pro and anti Saraki elements are expected slug it out, in a high-end political brikmanshp that will affirm or truncate Saraki’s three year reign as senate president.
Although president Muhammadu Buhari has maintained a calculated silence since the defection of Saraki from the ruling party to the main opposition political party, close associates of the president and the leadership of the ruling party, have however insisted that Saraki must resign from his plum office or get impeached.
Notable among those baying for the blood of the senate president, is the national chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole, who has since Saraki’s defection, been harping on the latter’s resignation or impeachment.
But in a move to frustrate their antagonists, the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, have on Tuesday scuttled the move to reconvene the Tuesday’s plenary.
In a statement signed by Yusuph Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to Senate President and Turaki Hassan, Special Adviser (Media and Public Affairs) to Speaker, House of Representives the two leaders of the NASS informed all Senators, Honorable members and the public that a date has not been set for the reconvening of the Senate and the House of Representatives to consider the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 2019 elections budget request forwarded by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 17, 2018.
The statement said: “The leadership of the two chambers had met and agreed to reconvene to consider the proposal this week before which a meeting between the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters and officials of the INEC must have held on or before Monday August 13, 2018.
“The joint committees were also expected to meet with the joint Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, Loans and Debts on the Eurobond loan request after which two reports would have been ready for presentation in the two chambers.
“However, no such meeting had taken place yet as a result of which both Senate and House of Representatives cannot reconvene as there is no report to consider.
“Until the Committees have a ready report for the consideration of the two chambers, it will be most irresponsible to recall members from recess especially those that may have traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.”
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