Ahead of today’s screening of former Governor of Rivers State, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, yesterday, lampooned senators elected on the platform of his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, saying that the 8th Senate belongs to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to him, the PDP should note that it has become a minority, a situation where the majority would always have its way, warning that PDP cannot disqualify Amaechi based on what he described as triviality instead of the constitution. He added that Amaechi has not been convicted by any court of law.
Ali Ndume boasted that the Senators will determine the fate of Amaechi and not the report of Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, adding that Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu would not have presided yesterday because APC ministerial nominees were being screened, which explained the adjournment.
Ndume spoke amid strong indications, yesterday, that PDP and APC senators will flex muscles today over Amaechi. While the APC senators have insisted on screening and confirming Amaechi for a ministerial appointment, the PDP Senators have not shifted grounds on the position they took on Tuesday to frustrate the screening of the former governor.
Today, Chairman, Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Samuel Anyanwu (PDP, Imo East) will submit the reports of his committee on petitions against the nominees including Amaechi.
According to a PDP Senator, who spoke with newsmen, the report will be up for discussion and votes will be taken in support or against Amaechi being screened and cleared.
The senator, who noted that if the voting favours that Amaechi be screened as opposed to their collective decision, they would as a caucus stage a walk out and allow the APC senators do what they want to do.
PDP senators to review pact with Saraki
The Senator revaled that the PDP Senators who formed an alliance with Senate President Bukola Saraki prior to his election and which led to his emergence were planning to review the unwritten agreement.
On whether the PDP senators were aware that if the Senators failed to screen or reject Amaechi by October 29 upon the expiration of the 21 working-day constitutional deadline, the former governor would automatically become a minister, the Senator said “we will not allow that to happen” as PDP Senators.
The Senator continued: “The report of the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions will be laid tomorrow (today) and there will be voting on whether or not to accept that Amaechi be screened. The voting will determine the way forward and if the voting says he should be screened because APC wants and PDP as a caucus thinks we should not screen Amaechi and if the APC insists, PDP Senators will stage a walk out.”
Another PDP Senator, who spoke with newsmen, said that the issue has to do with 21 working days which is like a month, adding that the position of PDP Senators is about the law and the society, adding that the National Assembly is a theatre of politics, but as law makers, they must be cautious.
According to the Senator, the PDP senators were standing on Section 66(h) which stipulates that when indicted by a panel, the person cannot occupy any public office.
Section 66(h) says: “No person shall be qualified for Membership of National Assembly and Right of attendance if he has been indicted for embezzlement or fraud by a judicial Commission of Inquiry or an Administrative Panel of Inquiry or a Tribunal set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act…”
The PDP senators are also citing section 53(5) of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as Amended on why they will work against the clearance of Amaechi.
Section 53(5) of Senate Standing Orders 2015 As Amended reads: “Reference shall not be made to any matter on which a Judicial decision is pending, in such a way as might in the opinion of the President of the Senate prejudice the interest of parties thereto.”
The screening would have taken place yesterday, but the Senate suspended sitting to allow senators accompany Senate President, Bukola Saraki to the Code of Conduct Tribunal where he is facing trial over alleged false declaration of assets.
For the third time since it began the screening of ministerial nominees, the Senate on Tuesday, postponed the screening of Amaechi.
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