War Against Saraki Gathers Momentum as 15 Lawmakers Back, Marafa
A
size-able number of lawmakers from the green chamber have declared
support for anti-Saraki senator, Marafa as calls for the removal of the
senate president takes shape.
Kabiru Marafa
Some members of the House of Representatives have hit back at their
colleagues who condemned Kabiru Marafa for allegedly desecrating the
sanctity of the National Assembly.
Mr. Marafa, an All Progressives Congress Senator representing Zamfara Central, had asked his colleagues to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki, in view of the latter’s corruption trial at Code of Conduct Tribunal, or risk being recalled by Nigerians.
He also alleged that “fifth columnists” in the Senate were responsible for the 2016 budget controversy just after the Supreme Court ruling that upheld Mr. Saraki’s trial.
He was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which laid its report since last week, but without the accused’s defence. However, Mr. Marafa remains adamant, saying he stood by all he said and that he was defending the integrity of the Senate.
But on Wednesday the matter escalated to House of Representatives, setting political camps in the legislative body against each other. Eleven members of the House believed to be loyal to the Saraki-Dogara bi-cameral camp of the National Assembly, rose against Mr. Marafa, whose statements, they said, cast slur on the sanctity of the legislature.
“It is indeed regrettable that eight months after the contest for leadership in the Senate ended, Marafa and his group have remained in electioneering mode,” they said.
Mr. Marafa is the spokesperson of Unity Forum, the group that opposed the leadership of Mr. Saraki, preferring Ahmed Lawan instead.
On Sunday, 15 members of the House countered their colleagues, asking them to stay clear of Senate’s internal affairs.
In a statement, they said, “it must be made clear to the legislators who are mostly new members that the two Houses of the National Assembly are Independent and Separate and by getting involved in the internal crisis of the Senate shows them to be busybodies and interlopers who know nothing about the running of a bicameral legislature.
“We advise our colleagues to mind their own business and face the peoples work for which they were elected to do.”
Mr. Marafa, an All Progressives Congress Senator representing Zamfara Central, had asked his colleagues to remove Senate President Bukola Saraki, in view of the latter’s corruption trial at Code of Conduct Tribunal, or risk being recalled by Nigerians.
He also alleged that “fifth columnists” in the Senate were responsible for the 2016 budget controversy just after the Supreme Court ruling that upheld Mr. Saraki’s trial.
He was referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions which laid its report since last week, but without the accused’s defence. However, Mr. Marafa remains adamant, saying he stood by all he said and that he was defending the integrity of the Senate.
But on Wednesday the matter escalated to House of Representatives, setting political camps in the legislative body against each other. Eleven members of the House believed to be loyal to the Saraki-Dogara bi-cameral camp of the National Assembly, rose against Mr. Marafa, whose statements, they said, cast slur on the sanctity of the legislature.
“It is indeed regrettable that eight months after the contest for leadership in the Senate ended, Marafa and his group have remained in electioneering mode,” they said.
Mr. Marafa is the spokesperson of Unity Forum, the group that opposed the leadership of Mr. Saraki, preferring Ahmed Lawan instead.
On Sunday, 15 members of the House countered their colleagues, asking them to stay clear of Senate’s internal affairs.
In a statement, they said, “it must be made clear to the legislators who are mostly new members that the two Houses of the National Assembly are Independent and Separate and by getting involved in the internal crisis of the Senate shows them to be busybodies and interlopers who know nothing about the running of a bicameral legislature.
“We advise our colleagues to mind their own business and face the peoples work for which they were elected to do.”
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