Senators under pressure to clear Magu •Why lawmakers are angry •DSS report crucial —NASS source

Intense lobbying has been flagged off by loyalists of the acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, in a bid to get the red chamber to rescind its decision to torpedo his confirmation

Sources close to the National Assembly confirmed that feelers from the Senate were appeared not favourable following the re-nomination of Magu to the Senate by President Muhammadu Buhari in a letter dated January 17.

The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, had read the letter re-nominating Magu on January 24, but a drama preceded the reading of that letter.

The Senate, that morning, went into an executive session just before the session opened to thrash out “certain issues.”

It was gathered that the session, held behind closed doors, discussed the letter re-nominating Magu, as well as the clearance issued by the Presidency on the allegations against the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal.

It was gathered that while many of the senators in attendance asked the Adhoc Committee on the Humanitarian Situation in the North East, headed by Senator Shehu Sani ,to handle the Babachir issue, many of them expressed shock in the presentation of Magu for the second time.

Some of the senators, however, agreed that the President reserved the right to represent a nominee.

Sources at the executive session, however, said that the mood of the Senate was still against the confirmation of Magu.

It was learnt that a number of senators were still angry that the President did not clear Magu of all allegations levelled against him by the Department of State Services (DSS), while only declaring in his letter to the Senate that he heard from the nominee.

Some of the lawmakers were also said to have expressed displeasure that Buhari’s letter was an attempt to rubbish the DSS or to indicate that its security reports did not matter.

In another breath, some were said to have reasoned that the import of the President’s letter was to force the Senate to make a U-turn and possibly indict itself.

But the major anger, a source said, was the indication that emissaries of the acting EFCC chairman reached out only to a handful of senators before the December debacle.

“His handlers failed to tell him that the Senate runs a collegiate system. At the end, it is the opinion with majority backing hat sees the light of the day. It doesn’t mean whoever is behind the idea. He shot himself in the foot by reaching out to some senators, thinking that would save the day. There was even an allegation that some people met in Dubai,” a source in the chamber said.

It was learnt that the former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume has become the arrowhead of those seeking Magu’s confirmation after his efforts in December hit the rocks.