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Tag: Senators

  • Senate Presidency: Senators betrayed me, says Yari

    Senate Presidency: Senators betrayed me, says Yari

    Aftermath of the 10th assembly election, the former governor of Zamfara State , Senator Abdulaziz Yari has accused senators of betraying him over the Senate Presidency position.

    On Tuesday, Godwill Akpabio, a former Akwa Ibom State Governor polled 63 votes to defeat Yari who scored 46 votes.

    However, Yari said he was hoping to get 61 out of the 109 votes which could have seen him emerge as the Senate President.

    Speaking in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Yari said: “Yes, I can say there was a betrayal. That’s the truth because as we were taking stock as of 3 am, Monday-Tuesday election, we took stock of over 76.

    “But as usual, human beings, we thought we are going to get a pullout of about 15, which we will have a comfortable 61 to win the election.

    “But it became the reverse, which only God knows what happened. So, I feel betrayed but life continues and it’s a cycle.”

     

  • 2 Senators resign membership of PDP

    2 Senators resign membership of PDP

    Two serving Senators of  the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mathew Urhoghide (Edo)Ayo Akinyelure(Ondo) have resigned their membership of the party.

    Their resignation is contained in separate letters, read at plenary on Wednesday by the Deputy President of Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege.,who presided over the session.

    Urhoghide in his letter said : “I write to formally inform you and the entire senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that | am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), effective immediately.

    “This difficult decision arose out of the negative political energy emanating at the moment from the irreconcilable differences and squabbles within the PDP at the national level and especially in my dear state, Edo State.

    ” These squabbles have spiked to levels that have made it impossible for someone like me who is a confirmed democrat to function and grow as | envisioned in my political journey.

    “I am however grateful to the party which yielded me the platform to achieve the mission of serving my country as a two-term senator,which,experience afforded me  opportunity to meet and work with all you wonderful colleagues.

    “The opportunity helped too to build and form important and lasting friendships here at the senate. above all else, it imbued in me knowledge and experience that could not have gotten anywhere else.”

    Akinyelure, in his letter said his resignation from the PDP takes effect from June 11.

    “This is to formally inform you and all my distinguished colleagues in the ninth Senate of National Assembly that | am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with effect from 11th June, 2023 .

    “I therefore, wish to express my appreciation to the party for granting me the opportunity to serve Ondo Central Senatorial District and Nigeria in the Senate of the 9the Assembly on the Platform of PDP.

    “This decision has come at this time since the ninth Senate is coming to an end soonest.”

    He said his resignation was to enable him settle down and look forward to other areas of human and professional endeavours, where he could be of value addition to his Ondo State and Nigeria in general.

  • Insecurity: Senators in close door session with security chiefs

    Insecurity: Senators in close door session with security chiefs

     

    Apparently the security situation in the country has assumed a larger than life posture since the first week of July after terrorists stormed Kuje Correctional facility and casually walked away their detained members.

    To stem the tide, the leadership of the Senate is currently in a meeting with Heads of Security Agencies.

    The meeting started a few minutes past 2.00 pm at the Senate Wing National Assembly Complex on Wednessday.

    Some of the Senators present are the Chairman, Senate Committee on Defence, Senator Aliyu Wamakko; Chairman, Senate Committee on Navy, George Sekibo; and the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Abdullahi DanBaba.

    TheNewsGuru .com, (TNG) recalls that the Opposition lawmakers had given the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd.), a six-week ultimatum to resolve insecurity in the country or face impeachment.

    Also, last week their counterparts in the House of Representatives had a similar meeting with security chiefs.

    Details later…

  • Defection: APC Chair, Adamu worried over senators leaving party

    APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has expressed concern over the gale of defections in the ruling party.

    Seven senators dumped APC for other opposition parties after they failed to secure the governing party’s ticket to contest the 2023 elections.

    Members of the Senate who have defected from the APC are Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Halliru Jika (Bauchi), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo).

    Briefing reporters after a closed-door meeting with APC senators, Adamu said it was unfortunate that the lawmakers left the party.

    He said the defections were expected due to the electioneering season when the country usually witnesses all manner of things.

    He said: “In every election year, these kinds of sub-steps give cause for people; stakeholders to sneeze. Nigeria is not an exception and the APC is not an exception.

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has expressed worry over the gale of defections in the party.

    Seven senators dumped APC for other opposition parties after they failed to secure the governing party’s ticket to contest the 2023 elections.

    Members of the Senate who have defected from the APC are Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Halliru Jika (Bauchi), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo).

    Briefing reporters after a closed-door meeting with APC senators, Adamu said it was unfortunate that the lawmakers left the party.

    He said the defections were expected due to the electioneering season when the country usually witnesses all manner of things.

    He said: “In every election year, these kinds of sub-steps give cause for people; stakeholders to sneeze. Nigeria is not an exception and the APC is not an exception.

  • 3 more APC senators resign from party

    3 more APC senators resign from party

    Three Senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resigned their membership of the ruling party.

    The senators are: Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North), Lawal Gumau (Bauchi South), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo North).

    The notices of their resignation and defection are contained in three separate letters read during plenary by the President of the Senate President, on Tuesday.

    While Kaita and Alimikhena defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gumau, on the other hand, defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
    Kaita’s letter reads, “As senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District, I write to formally notify you of my resignation from the APC and registration declaration for the PDP.

    “My resignation from the APC was borne out of the marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the State Government and Leadership of the Party in Katsina State, where small people like me do not have a chance.

    “I have since been joyfully and graciously accepted into the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party in Katsina State.”

    On his part, Alimikhena, explained that his decision to resign from the APC was as a result of “continuing and multifaceted crisis that has bedeviled the APC in his senatorial district.

    “This has created parallel executives that has undermined internal discipline, cohesion and focus.”

    The defection by the three lawmakers has reduced the total number of APC senators from 70 to 67 in the upper chamber.

  • Senate Majority Leader, 1 other dump APC for PDP

    Senate Majority Leader, 1 other dump APC for PDP

    Two frontline members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senate Majority Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Adamu Aliero, have officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The formal defections of the two APC senators from Kebbi State were conveyed in two separate letters addressed to the President of Senate Ahmad Lawan, and read at plenary on Tuesday.

    Sen. Ailero and Sen.Abdullahi represent Kebbi Central and Kebbi North Senatorial Districts respectively.

    Also to defect formally from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Grand Alliance on June 15, is the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

    His defection and exit as Minority Leader was deferred,  given the inability of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to come with his defection and resignation letter to plenary.

    Although an announcement to that effect was made by Lawan, it was however agreed that Abaribe’s letter be formally read on the floor before his exit as Minority Leader, after a point of order raised by Sen. Gabriel Suswam (PDP- Benue).

    The defection of the APC senators brings the total number of PDP Senators to 39 from the previous 38, with the exclusion of Abaribe, who is set to formally defect from the opposition party to APGA.

    It also reduced the number of APC Senators from 71 to 69 in the Senate.

  • 73 out of 109 senators append signatures to veto Buhari over rejection of electoral bill

    73 out of 109 senators append signatures to veto Buhari over rejection of electoral bill

    A federal lawmaker Senator George Sekibo on Tuesday said some senators are planning to veto President Muhammadu Buhari on the electoral act amendment bill.

    He said they have compiled 73 signatures to veto the President.

    The 109-member Senate will require a two-thirds majority to veto the bill into law.

    President Buhari had written the National Assembly to inform them of his decision to withhold his assent on the bill.

    According to the President, his decision was informed by advice from relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of Government after a thorough review.

    He said signing the bill into law would have serious adverse legal, financial, economic, and security consequences on the country, particularly in view of Nigeria’s peculiarities.

    The letter was read on the Senate floor on Tuesday prompting the Senate to go into a closed-door session requested by Senator Sekibo.

    Sekibo confirmed the planned veto after the end of the closed-door session.

    The Senate also adjourned its session till tomorrow.

  • Obosi community pours anger on Senator Ekwunife, accuse her of ‘insensitivity, disconnection’

    Obosi community pours anger on Senator Ekwunife, accuse her of ‘insensitivity, disconnection’

    The Obosi community in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State has queried the senator representing the area, Uche Ekwunife, for being absent during voting on electronic transmission of election results at the upper legislative chamber last week.

    The constituents, under the aegis of the Obosi Development Union, issued the query in a statement jointly signed by the President, Goddy Ikebuaku, and Secretary, Chimezie Obi, and made available to journalists in Awka on Wednesday.

    They lamented that Ekwunife’s absence was a sign of insensitivity and disconnect with her constituents.

    They expressed disappointment that their voice was not heard in the Senate over the issue due to their representative’s absence.

    The constituents alleged that Ekwunife was aware of their disaffection with the electoral system in the country, which intrinsically was connected to the lack of integrity and confidence in the election result delivery process.

    They noted that this usually resulted in acrimony, violence and fatalities.

    The statement read in part, “As our representative in the National Assembly, we expect that when very sensitive and important decisions of voting are taking place in the Senate, you will not only make yourself available, but also use every means possible to lobby your colleagues, especially those from the North, because of their numerical strength, to support initiatives that will advance the cause and of your constituents.

    “Unless satisfactory explanation is offered, our members and your constituents at large are inclined to view your action as typical of politicians, who profit or hope to profit from election result manipulation that has bedevilled our electoral system and frustrated the desires of the people to elect representatives of their choice as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution as amended.”

  • Buhari meets, dines with 109 senators tonight

    Buhari meets, dines with 109 senators tonight

    President Muhammadu Buhari will meet with the 109 senators of the National Assembly this evening.

    The scheduled meeting between members of the upper chamber and President Buhari was conveyed in a letter received from the State House and read during plenary by President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan.

    “I write to inform the Distinguished President of the Senate, that President Muhammadu Buhari will host a dinner of Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Tuesday, 13th July 2021, at 8 pm 20:00 hrs,” the letter read, adding that “The venue is at the State House Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.”

    The Senate on April 27 reached a resolution for the leadership of the upper chamber to schedule a meeting with the President to enable all 109 Senators to meet with him to discuss the issue of insecurity in the country.

    Although the details of the meeting is still sketchy, it is coming at a time when the lawmakers rejected the nomination of Lauretta Onochie as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner.

    Onochie serves as a presidential aide on Social Media and was nominated by President Buhari in October 2020 to represent Delta State in the electoral umpire.

    Her rejection on Tuesday followed the massive outcry that has trailed her nomination, especially from members of the opposition and civil society organisations who claim she is a card-carrying member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • Senators back Buhari’s controversial tweet

    Senators back Buhari’s controversial tweet

    By Emman Ovuakporie

    Some Senators on Thursday back President Muhamnadu Buhari’s controversial tweet that was deleted by Twitter for breaking its rule.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) recalls that President Buhari had tweeted on Tuesday after meeting with the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the State House in Abuja threatening to decisively deal with those attacking the commission’s facilities and those trying to bring the country down.

    Senator Adamu Aliero of Kebbi state did not mince words when journalists approached him to comment on the controversial tweet, he said:

    “Those killing our people must be dealt with decisively because they know where to direct their grievances to rather than kill people, we are behind the president.

    Senator Sani Musa of Niger State representing Niger East in the Senate also spoke in the same vein declaring that he is in total support of Mr President, the killers should be dealt with.

    Meanwhile, the Minister of Communication and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday attacked US media giant saying its mission in Nigeria is suspicious.

    But briefing State House reporters at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday in Abuja, the Minister accused Twitter of ignoring inciting tweets by the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, and others, adding that Nigeria would not be fooled.

    “We have a country to rule and we will do so to the best of our ability. Twitter’s mission in Nigeria is very suspect, they have an agenda,” he said.

    “The mission of Twitter in Nigeria is very suspicious. Has Twitter deleted the violent tweets that Nnamdi Kanu has been sending? Has it? The same Twitter during the ENDSARS protests that were funding ENDSARS protesters, it was the first to close the account of the former president of the US, Trump.

    “And you see when people were burning police stations and killing policemen in Nigeria during ENDSARS, for Twitter, it was about the right to protest. But when a similar thing happened on the Capitol, it became insurrection,” the minister said.