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  • Senate: Delta APC pro-group endorses Lawan, Omo-Agege as deputy

    Senate: Delta APC pro-group endorses Lawan, Omo-Agege as deputy

    Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ndokwa nation of Delta have lent their support to the party’s choice of Sen. Ahmad Lawan (Yobe-North East) for the top job of the President of the Senate.

    The group made its position on the contentious issue known in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Chief Paul Odili, and issued to newsmen at the end of the its meeting on Thursday in Asaba.

    The group also urged the national leadership of the party to endorse Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta- South-South) for the position of the Deputy Senate President.

    The statement read in part, “that after due consideration, we, the Ndokwa Nation APC stakeholders, throw our support behind steps taken by the party to ensure stability of the 9th National Assembly by adopting Lawan as the senate president

    Odili stated, “We call on all the APC senators to rally round the decision of the party to ensure stability and cohesiveness of the National Assembly and avoid the mistakes of the past.

    He also stated that there were indications that the party was working on a zoning arrangement for the various offices for the 9th National Assembly billed to be inaugurated in June.

    “We are at this point in time urging President Muhammadu Buhari and leaders of our party, our Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and other stakeholders, “to consider the South-South in the zoning of top offices in the senate.”

    “Looking at the performance of APC in the zone, we believe that the APC in Delta has recorded tremendous progress, considering where the party was in 2015 and today.

    Odili contended that “the position of senate president or deputy senate president is most equitable” for Delta, given that it polled 220,000 votes for the president, being the highest in the zone.

    “And for that reason, we canvass that Omo-agege, a ranking senator and strong believer in the policies of change and Next level of the APC, should be considered for the deputy senate president,” he said.

    The group described Omo-Agege as “a smart lawyer, an able administrator and a brilliant legislator, widely loved in his constituency and across the entire state.

    “We also believe that such a position will stabilise APC in Delta and enable it to further consolidate on the progress it is making to break the jinx of a one-party rule in the state,” the group further stated.

  • Omo-Agege was at no time senator-elect for Delta Central – Emerhor

    Omo-Agege was at no time senator-elect for Delta Central – Emerhor

    Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC in Delta State, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, has come hard on supporters of the senator representing Delta Central senatorial district, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege stating that, “Omo-Agege was at no time the candidate of the party nor was he at any time the Senator-elect.”

    Emerhor’s reaction is coming on the heels of the ruling by the Federal High Court, Asaba, which upheld the legitimacy of the Chief Cyril Ogodo led executive as the authentic APC executive in the state.

    In a statement yesterday, Emerhor explained that the mainstream of the APC in Delta State which he led produced the Ogodo led executive and accommodates over 70 percent of leaders and members of the party alongside over five governorship aspirants in the state.

    Based on the ruling, Emerhor who emerged as candidate for Delta central under the Ogodo led executive, said: “The Ogodo-Exco produce by the mainstream has always been the authentic executive. We only had a period when an illegal Exco was foisted on the party. What the court did on its Monday ruling was just to restore the legal Exco into its proper position.

    “I emerged as the Delta Central senatorial candidate against Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who emerged from the Prophet Jones Erue Exco which the court has now declared illegal. Legally and physically, you can’t build anything on nothing! Omo-Agege built his candidature on nothing and it has given way and has collapsed. But this is beyond just me and Omo-Agege. We the mainstream also had a governorship candidate, Prof Pat Utomi, 3 senatorial candidates, 10 house of Rep and 29 house of Assembly candidates! This Court ruling is for all of them! If for anything, it will be on record that they were the authentic candidates not anyone else.

    “This case is testing the rule of law and party due process. APC won a number of positions during the general elections. Recall that the Asaba high Court on October 17th 2018, restrained the APC national not to submit any candidates list to INEC and INEC not to accept any candidates list from the APC before the determination of the case. Any list APC went ahead to submit and INEC accepted respectively was in contempt of court order.

    “So, legally and in reality, Omo-Agege was at no time the candidate nor was he at any time the Senator-elect. Same for the other positions were APC won in Delta State. Not until the court ruling on Monday when the court authenticated me and others from the Ogodo Exco primaries can anyone legally claim to be the Senator-elect or any other position in Delta APC.”

    Omo-Agege as a lawyer cannot boast that the ruling has no consequences. The so-called consent judgment they keep building their hope on only dealt with the congress election of wards and LGA Excos and not the primaries of candidates and in any case, was dealt a death blow at their own appeal to the appeal court in Benin and at the Asaba federal high court. Omo-Agege knows I’m now the Senator-elect!

  • Delta APC crisis: Court lacks jurisdiction to stop my election – Omo-Agege

    Delta APC crisis: Court lacks jurisdiction to stop my election – Omo-Agege

    Senator representing Delta Central and Senator elect on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Ovie Omo-Agege has said that the Federal High Court in Asaba lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate on a matter that has already been dealt with.

    Omo-Agege therefore dismissed the judgment of the Federal High Court nullifying his nomination as the APC senatorial candidate, saying he was never a party to the suit before the court and therefore remains the validly nominated candidate of the party

    In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja and signed by his Senior Special Adviser Communications & Strategy, Godwin Anaughe, the Senator said the primary election that produced him and other APC candidates for the election was a consent judgement which has not been set aside by any court of competent jurisdiction.

    The statement reads: “Today’s judgement by Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court sitting in Asaba may give some joy to the plaintiffs and their supporters, but it is of no effect and does not and cannot alter the status quo. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege remains the Senator-Elect and Rev Francis Ejiroghene Waive remains the Member-Elect of the Federal House of Representatives.

    “First, the electoral college that elected Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Waive as APC candidates in the just concluded 2019 general elections came into being by virtue of a consent judgement that has not been set aside. It is still a valid, subsisting judgement until it is set aside by a superior court of competent jurisdiction. Therefore, their election into their respective positions remains valid.

    “Second, there is no consequential order made by Justice Toyin Adegoke for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the Certificate of Return duly issued to Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Waive and to be re-issued to those who are now parading themselves as the valid candidates for the just concluded 2019 general elections, neither was there any order made against the persons of Distinguished Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Francis Waive, as they were not parties to the suit and as such are not bound by the said judgement.

    “Third, the Court, in its wisdom held that the consent judgement is not binding on Cyril Ogodo and co. because they were not parties to that suit. It becomes trite that today’s judgement also cannot bind on Senator Omo-Agege and Rev. Waive because they were also not joined as parties to this present suit.

    Further to this, the Court therefore cannot make any declaratory orders against them.

    “Fourth, the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC, under the directive of the National Executive Committee ( NEC) of the party is the only organ that is saddled with the responsibility of organizing party primaries for the purpose of nominating and sponsoring candidates for elections and not one Mefor Progress, an individual, as Justice Toyin Adegoke wrongly held in her judgement.

    “It is imperative to state emphatically that the consent judgement of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that gives validity to the Jones Ode Erue led Exco is a final judgement of Court like any other judgement, and it is valid and subsisting until it is appealed against and set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction.

    “The Asaba Federal High Court lacks the jurisdiction to sit as an Appellant Court over a consent judgement delivered by a court of coordinate jurisdiction. Consequently, Prophet Jones Ode Erue & his Exco remains the valid and authentic Executives of Delta State APC.

    “The judgement delivered by Justice Toyin Adegoke of the Federal High Court 1, Asaba is therefore of no consequence.”

     

  • UPU congratulates Omo-Agege, Waive, others

    The Urhobo Progress Union, the umbrella of all Urhobos, has congratulated the senator representing the Urhobo Nation, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, on his re-election to the red chambers of the National Assembly.

    The UPU also congratulated the Rev. Francis Waive, member-elect representing Udu, Ughelli North, Ughelli South Udu Federal Constituency; Hon. Efe Afe, member-elect, Sapele, Okpe, Uvwie Federal Constituency and Hon. Ben Ibakpa, member-elect, Ethiope Federal Consituency on their election to the green chamber of the National Assembly.

    The UPU President General, Olorogun Moses Taiga, in his congratulatory message urged Omo-Agege, Waive, Afe and Ibakpa to use their positions to bring more developments to Urhobo land. He said the UPU looked forward to forming a formidable partnership with them to fast track development of Urhoboland.

    Taiga also used the opportunity to implore all Urhobo sons and daughters who are disatisfied with the outcome of the elections to follow due process.

    “The electoral act clearly states actions they should take. The fragile peace that has been prevailing in Urhobo land since after the election should be maintained, Taiga advised.
    In another development, Olorogun Taiga has also congratulated Hon. Emma Oghene Egoh on his re-election to the House of Representatives to represent Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency.

  • [Photos] Omo-Agege gives account of stewardship as Urhobo kingdom endorses his second term senatorial bid

    The people of Urhobo kingdom in Delta Central Senatorial district on Saturday endorsed Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege second term senatorial bid.

    The endorsement was given during a constituency town hall organized by the senator over the weekend. The event was put together to brief constituents of his stewardship in the two years and nine months of being in the National Assembly.

    The event was well attended by various segments of the constituency including traditional rulers, market women, the clergy, youths and different associations and pressure groups.

    In his remark, Senator Omo-Agege said he was overwhelmed by the turn out of constituents from the various local government councils that make up the district.

    According to him, “it gives me great pleasure and sense of responsibility to stand before the Urhobo nation to present the report of my stewardship to the very good people of Delta Central Senatorial District, whose gracious and generous mandate in the 2015 general elections I exercise today on their behalf.

    “Today, I’m proud that we have kept our promises and upheld our part of the bargain. Whether on the floor of the Senate or outside, the Urhobo voice was heard loud and clear.”

    Giving an account of his stewardship earlier, Sen. Omo-Agege he stated that he has sponsored eleven bills, several motions and contributed robustly on several national issues on the floor of the Senate.

    He also said he has attracted forty three (43) federal projects through the yearly zonal intervention (constituency) projects scheme which entitles to him about N220million worth of projects each year.

    Omo-Agege, who is vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine and Land Transportation, said 24 out of the 43 projects were completed and being put to use while work was still on going on the others.

    He pleaded with those who were yet to benefit from his zonal intervention (constituency) projects scheme to be patient as plans were already in place to factor them into the 2019 budget.

    Speaking on the issue of herdsmen versus farmers clashes which have led to killings and destruction of farmlands in some part of the Urhobo nation, the senator stressed that security agencies ought to live up to expectations.

    He said: “These people you keep referring to as Fulani herdsmen are not the herdsmen that we use to know; these are criminals and should be treated a such. The Fulani farmers crisis is not about Atiku or Buhari; it is failure of law enforcement agencies. The security agencies must ensure the laws in our books are used.”

    He decried what he described as the under-performance of the present Delta State government and charged his people to align themselves with the party in power at the centre.

    “The Urhobo people have decided that this time around they would align themselves with mainstream politics. Sending me back to the senate as a ranking senator, with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and Chief Great Ogboru in charge of Asaba would strengthen me to do more for the Urhobo people”, he said.

    Many of those who spoke expressed satisfaction with his representation and assured the senator of their unflinching support for a second term.

    A motion for the second term endorsement was moved by Mr. Peter Nikoro from Sapele who in the typical parliamentary parlance, put the question, “those in support of Senator Omo-Agege to be reelected to represent the people of Delta Central Senatorial District say yes, and those against say no”.

    The hall was greeted with a thunderous “yes, we want him to go back”.

    In a remark, Chief Thomas Uduaran from Ewhu in Ughelli South local government area praised the achievements of the lawmaker. He said: “We have never had it like this in the history of Orhobo nation; Senator Omo-Agege has performed beyond expectations and we the people of this senatorial district are saying ‘carry go’”.

    Also Princess Yvonne Damaobakpolor, the president of Versatile Group for Gender Sensitivity and Good Governance praised the senator for his numerous achievements and scored him ninety eight percent over hundred.

    She said: “On behalf of me and my group we want to thank the senator for empowering our women and creating jobs for our teeming youths. You have performed excellently and I stand tall to say carry go his excellency.

    “We score the the senator ninety eight percent over hundred. However, we urge the senator to revive the Sapele, Warri, Onitsha and Port Harcourt seaports. If you can lobby the south south senators and come together as a force to ensure these ports work again then there would be enormous jobs for our sons and daughters.”

    Prophet Johnny Eyomah of Omega Gopel Ministries International who spoke on behalf of the clergy reiterated their support for the senator whom they said deserved a second term.

    “On behalf of the pastors and men of God who are here today representing different denominations, I recommend that you must go to the senate again in Jesus name,” he said but however called for solution to the into “the issue of herdsmen who are are killing and raping our women in their farms.”

    A three times former federal House of Representatives member, Mr. Halims Agoda said the senator’s score card was very rich compared to the little time he has spent in the senate.

    Hear him: “In a very short time, senator Ovie Omo-Agege has accomplished a lot in terms of legislation and recorded so many projects to his name. As a first timer, he has given a credible account of his stewardship. They are some lawmakers both in the House and Senate who spend three or four years there without even introducing their names and when they move in the streets nobody recognizes them but today Senator Omo-Agege is a household name”.

     

  • 2019: PDP stalwart drums support for Omo-Agege

    A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Delta State, Mr. Peter Etareri Okorodudu has called on the people of the Urhobo nation to work towards the reelection of the incumbent Senator representing Delta Central at the National Assembly and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the senatorial district, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege in the 2019 general election.

    Etareri, in a statement yesterday, said Omo-Agege was deserving of reelection, saying the Senator had given Delta Central the strong voice which he said had eluded the Urhobo nation at the National Assembly since 1999.

    Describing Omo-Agege as a vibrant, dynamic and visionary senator who has the interest of the Urhobo nation at heart, he noted that has made his impact felt in the National Assembly within the period that he became a member of the red chamber.

    He said: ‘l am a member of the PDP and a true son of Urhobo land. When we want to talk about our representative at the Senate, we should shun party sentiments and elect someone who we know can give our people the kind of representation that they desire.

    “In this regards, l am saying without fear of contradiction that Omo-Agege fits the bill on account of the qualitative and effective representation he has been giving to Delta Central.

    “Omo-Agege has carved a niche for himself as a very notable personality in the Senate on account of his vibrancy and the quality of the motions and bills he has been initiating on the floor of the Senate and we are very proud of the role he played in pushing for the signing of the FUPRE bill into law.

    “As the fifth largest ethnic nationality in the country, the Urhobo nation needs a man of Omo-Agege’s calibre to put it in it’s pride of place in the political scheme of things in the country.

    ‘At this time of our political history, the Urhobo nation does not need a bench warmer in the National Assembly. We need someone who can stand out a give the Urhobo people a strong voice in the senate. That is why I am strongly of the view that Omo-Agege is a square peg in a square hole at this present time.

    “I am therefore calling on the entire people of the Urhobo nation irrespective of their political party affiliations to give their unflinching support and the Urhobo mandate to Omo-Agege.

  • Judge warns Saraki to pay Omo-Agege’s entitlements or be summoned

    The Federal High Court on Thursday warned the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over the imprisonment proceedings initiated against him by the Delta-Central senator, Ovie Omo-Agege.
    Omo-Agege had initiated the committal proceedings praying that Saraki be sent to prison as punishment for flouting the May 10 judgment of the court which ordered him (Omo-Agege) to be reinstated from illegal suspension and be paid all his accrued benefits for the period of the voided suspension.
    The hearing of the committal proceedings was scheduled for Thursday, but the alleged contemnor and his lawyers were absent from court.
    Ruling on a request by Omo-Agege’s lawyer, Dr. Alex Izinyon (SAN), to have the committal application heard despite the absence of the defence, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said he was more inclined to giving the Senate President another chance to “remedy the alleged wrong” or appear in court to defend himself.
    Justice Dimgba noted that the application was truly “ripe for hearing,” as argued by Izinyon, as the court’s records showed that Saraki had been served with the motion on notice and hearing notice for the Thursday’s proceedings via a newspaper publication of September 25, 2018 as earlier ordered by the court.
    The judge, however, said he would give Saraki another chance to remedy the alleged wrong or appear in court to defend himself.
    He also directed Izinyon to write the Senate President and the legal department of the Senate, informing them of the adjournment of the proceedings till October 18.

  • Saraki must quit Senate Presidency – Omo-Agege

    As the National Assembly prepare to resume plenary session tomorrow, Tuesday, Sen Ovie Omo-Agege (APC), has said that Dr Bukola Saraki should be ready to vacate the seat as Nigeria’s Senate President.
    Omo-Agege, who is representing Delta State Central Senatorial District, spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.
    Saraki had, on July 31, defected from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), hinging his defection on unsuccessful efforts to ensure a harmonious existence in the APC.
    The APC National Working Committee (NWC) had queried Saraki, asking him to respond within 48 hours why disciplinary action should not to be taken against him for breaching Article 21 of the party’s convention.
    The allegations raised against him by the party included that ‘’you encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition parties”.
    The party called on Saraki to resign his position as the Senate President, insisting that he lacked the moral ground to retain the position after defecting to the PDP.
    However, the Senate president had stood his ground even as the National Assembly declared its annual recess which began July 24.
    Although the federal lawmakers were initially expected to resume Sept. 25, the resumption was postponed to Oct. 9.
    Mohammed Sani-Omolori, the Clerk of the Assembly, who announced the postponement in a statement on Sunday, Sept. 23, attributed the development to the primary elections of political parties.
    Sani-Omolori said members of the National Assembly were expected to resume by 10am on the new date.
    Meanwhile, Omo-Agege told NAN that the demand of the APC’s senators for Saraki’s removal was still standing.
    ‘’Our demand has not changed, in fact, that demand has been accentuated by the directive of the APC national leadership.
    ‘’We have all been enjoined as APC senators at a slightest opportunity to remove Saraki and once we are provided with that slightest opportunity, we will remove him and he knows that,” he said.
    According to him, the moment Saraki left the party, APC, to join the minority PDP, he lost the right, legal and moral, to occupy the office of the Senate President.
    ‘’Absolutely, he knows he cannot be; we are not shying away from that. Our position has always been consistent.
    ‘’This is not new neither is it news. We have made that clear, very clearly in the past.
    “Therefore, the position of Ovie Omo-Agege has the position of APC as a party,” he remarked.
    On whether the members, who were aggrieved by the outcome of the primaries at various states might affect their plan, the senator said: ‘’Well, that is something that we will need to address when we return on Tuesday.
    ‘’We will take an audit of where we are in terms of the numbers, in terms of those who are happy and those who are not happy.
    ‘’But you should understand one thing, just as you have people who are disgruntled in APC, you also have others who are disgruntled in PDP.”
    When asked if the aggrieved group had the number to remove Saraki, Omo-Agege said: ‘’of course, we have always had the number. We have the number.”
    On whether defection of members could affect their plan, he responded thus: ‘’Like I am telling you, as people are leaving APC to PDP, people are leaving PDP to APC.’’
    He said as soon as the APC lawmakers in the red chamber have the number, the deed would be done.
    ‘’I mean once the environment is conducive; that is, once we have the number, we take him out, as simple as that,” he said.
    NAN

  • Saraki will be impeached at the slightest opportunity – Omo-Agege

    Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District on the floor of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege has said embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki will be humiliated out of office if he (Saraki) refuses to bow out honourably.

    Omo-Agege, a prominent member of the Parliamentary Support Group, a body of the All Progressives Congress (APC) members in the National Assembly loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari also insisted that the APC Caucus will soon reconvene the national assembly in the interest of the country.

    The outspoken lawmaker also pointed out that the APC caucus was also against the alleged proposal for a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives whenever Saraki and Dogara reconvene the National Assembly.

    The lawmaker insisted that Saraki must not remain Senate President after his defection from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Recall that the APC senators had met with the National Chairman of the ruling party, Adams Oshiomhole, during the week on the matter.

    Omo-Agege said, “We have the information that they want to reconvene a joint session and that is completely unacceptable to us. Of course, we won’t accept it. The Senate itself has to be reconvened for this purpose. The reason (for postponing the planned recall on Tuesday) is that he knows that we have the numbers now – and indeed we have the numbers now – to remove him. Any opportunity that we have right now, we will get rid of him.

    “They have no choice, they have to (reconvene). They are just postponing the evil day. The credibility of the 2019 elections is at stake and it would be a jeopardy if because of Saraki’s selfish interests he refuses to reconvene the Senate towards approving this budget. Saraki must understand that the national interest ought to supersede his personal and selfish interest. He cannot tie down the fate of the entire country just because he wants to hang on a position that we are determined to remove him from.

    “We as a caucus are very resolute to remove him and at the slightest opportunity he gives to us, he is gone. We have said that he ought to do the honourable thing, the right thing by stepping down, otherwise he would be humiliated. We have the numbers and we are going to remove him.”

    Meanwhile, Saraki, in his response through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, dismissed the humiliation threat, alleging that those calling for his resignation and impeachment were the threats to Nigeria’s democracy.

    He said, “We maintain our position that these are dwellers in the gutter and we won’t allow them to drag us into it. No, we won’t allow them to drag us into the gutter. There are some of them who actually should be in jail now because of their conducts. It is because they have state protection that they are not in jail.’’

     

  • Senate invasion: Omo-Agege berates Saraki, Reps over fresh suspension moves

    The lawmaker representing the Delta Central Senatorial District, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has carpeted the House of Representatives for approving his suspension over alleged involvement in the invasion of the Senate chamber and mace snatching.

    Omo-Agege described the resolution for his suspension by the House as an act of lawlessness.

    The senator stated this in a statement he personally signed entitled, ‘My Advice to the House of Representatives on its Purported Resolution to Suspend Me: Eat It or Better Still, Shove It.’

    Recall that the Senate had on April 12, 2018, suspended Omo-Agege for 90 legislative days for dragging the chamber to court over the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 which seeks to reshuffle the sequence of polls during general elections.

    Omo-Agege had, however, dismissed the suspension and attended plenary on April 18. The lawmaker’s emergence at the chamber had occurred at the same time when suspected thugs invaded the Senate chamber while plenary was ongoing and made away with the mace.

    President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, while inaugurating a joint National Assembly investigative panel which had the Senate’s Deputy Majority Leader, Bala Ibn Na’Allah and Rep. Betty Apiafa as co-chairmen, had noted that there were reports that those who attacked the Senate were led by a serving senator.

    The House had last week considered the report by the panel, which indicted Omo-Agege, and approved the recommendation that the senator be suspended for 180 legislative days.

    Na’Allah has yet to lay the report before the Senate.

    Omo-Agege, in his reaction, dismissed the resolution by the House and accused Saraki of being a dictator.

    The statement read in part, “Without much ado, I state without ‘equivocation’ whatsoever that the purported House resolution is just an act of utter lawlessness by one ordinary, first among equals in the Senate, who prides himself as a most intolerant dictator. The Urhobo people that I represent with honour in the Senate do not respect oppressors or dictators.

    Omo-Agege described himself as “a good student of Constitutional Law, saying he was “unlike the one who knows nothing about the law yet misuses our legislative processes and instruments to violently violate my rights as a Senator of the Federal Republic duly elected by my people to represent them in the Red Chamber just like him.”

    He stated, “Not being a member of the House of Representatives, I cannot be subjected to any form of investigation or disciplinary action by the House.”

    The lawmaker pointed out that with Sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution, the National Assembly had no power whatsoever to investigate a crime.

    He said, “The removal of the Senate’s mace was described in the Senate as a ‘heinous crime.’ For this reason and much more, it is a matter now under an active criminal investigation by the police. Usurping the constitutional functions of the police, Hon. Betty Apafia ignored this fact and elected to submit a so-called report on this incident and inflicted incalculable harm on my person thereby. There must be consequences for this.”

    Omo-Agege noted that there were several judicial decisions that legislative houses could not suspend their members, while matters of his suspension by the Senate and National Assembly’s investigation of the mace theft were before the court, making the action by the House subjudice.

    He said, “It is elementary that parties are not supposed to take steps to foist fait accompli on a court that is already seized of issues between such parties. But some would rather turn the Senate into a Banana Republic by arrogating to themselves powers they do not have and acting with disgusting lawlessness and brazenness.

    “The irony is that some of these same people were allowed to enjoy the full benevolence that our legal system provides by remaining ‘unsuspended’ or ‘unremoved’ from their legislative positions when they had challenges with the law. Even much more ironical is that these same intolerant dictators often dare to unjustly accuse our dear President Muhammadu Buhari of some fairy dictatorship.”

    The lawmaker added, “In all, let me say that if they ever assumed that I will be a victim of the travesty of justice, violation of our Constitution, and untrammelled impunity being piped from the Senate by a dictator, they are dead wrong. My people and I will lose nothing as a result of this sickening dictatorship in the Senate. This is a fight the Senate dictator and drummer must lose. He has bitten more than he can chew.”

    Reacting, Saraki’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Yusuph Olaniyonu, said senators who believed in the Senate President’s leadership would respond to Omo-Agege.

    Olaniyonu said, “Ordinarily, I don’t reply senators out of respect, for the fact that they are my principal’s colleagues. That is why you have not seen me replying all the diatribe from Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Senator Ali Ndume and him. At the right time, their colleagues will reply to them. It is out of deliberate respect for them that I, as the spokesman for the Senate President, will not be seen to be exchanging hot words with his colleagues. That is one of the ethics of the Office of the President of the Senate under Senator Bukola Saraki.”

    Also responding to Omo-Agege, a senator loyal to Saraki dismissed the Parliamentary Support Group in the Senate, which has Adamu, Ndume and Omo-Agege as part of its membership, as a group of aggrieved lawmakers.

    The senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, alleged that the lawmakers had been attacking Saraki for personal reasons.