PDP Senators Withdraw Support For Buhari’s Government

Saraki, Ekweremadu for trial June 27
From Fred Itua and Godwin Tsa,Abuja
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.
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.