…says former Senate President playing politics with parliamentary procedure
A call by former Senate President Bukola Saraki asking the incumbent President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to subject himself to open investigation by the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions over allegations leveled against him by Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has been condemned.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Executive Director of the Citizens Network For Peace and Development in Nigeria, Barrister Francis Okereke Wainwei, accused Senator Saraki of playing politics with the raging issue.
The Forum noted that the former Senate President was deliberately distorting parliamentary procedures as there was no formal petition before the Red Chamber on the alleged sexual advances.
Barrister Wainwei further maintained that there was no nexus between the experience of Senator Saraki in the Eight Senate and the present allegation raised against Senator Akpabio.
He said, “We are, therefore, calling on the Senate to religiously adhere to the strict enforcement of its rules and extant parliamentary procedures. This is to ensure the sustenance of its parliamentary integrity and due process without being swayed negatively by any extraneous distraction or sentiment. The Senate should focus on discharging its constitutional responsibilities and duties to the Nigerian people and shouldn’t waste its precious time and resources on frivolous issues, such as the Senator Natasha sexual harassment allegation against the Senate President, as she didn’t even formally present it before the Senate.
“We are also using this medium to condemn the statement credited to former Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki, calling on the Senate President to step aside for his Deputy to preside over the investigation of the alleged sexual harassment. We are very disappointed that such a statement was made by such a highly respected former parliamentarian who knows the rules of the Senate and its parliamentary procedures. Mr Saraki is aware that before any allegation or any matter can be investigated by the Senate, it must be raised in the Senate or formally presented before it. This matter was never raised or presented in the Senate, so how can the Senate investigate it? And also, the incident Sen. Saraki referred to is materially and factually different from the instant matter. While the matter under his Senate Presidency was a matter that directly affected the running of his office as Senate President and was raised in the Senate, this sexual harassment matter is a private matter that allegedly happened outside of the Senate, that doesn’t directly affect the administration of the office of the Senate President and was never formally presented before the Senate.
“We know that Senator Saraki is playing politics with this sexual harassment matter. He is using it to attract accolades and applause from his party faithful in preparation for the 2027 elections and also to show solidarity with his party member as a partisan leader, but such comments are not patriotic and don’t mean well for the nation. When issues like this arise, every patriotic leader is expected to be objective and address the issues frontally without being sentimental.”
He also faulted Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan’s husband, High Chief Emmanuel Uduaghan, for recourse to public discourse of a private meeting between him and the Senate President.
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