National Assembly ‘ll keep defending democracy - Saraki

SENATE President Bukola Saraki yesterday reiterated the resolve and commitment of the Eighth Senate and the National Assembly to keep protecting and defending the nation’s fledgling democracy.

Saraki, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja, spoke when the chairmen and leaders of 45 registered political parties visited him at the National Assembly.

He told the party leaders, led by Democratic United Party (DUP) National Chairman Chief Perry Okpara, that as direct representatives of the people, lawmakers would keep playing their role to ensure that the rule of law is followed and that human rights are respected.

Saraki said: “I thank you for taking out time to be with us here today. Thank you for the solidarity message and we truly appreciate it as it encourages us to further do what we are doing to defend democracy in our great country.

“The big thank you goes to all Nigerians that stood with us and have come to support us here in the National Assembly because in supporting us, you are supporting our democracy.

“We will continue to defend it. We will continue to ensure that there is respect for the rule of law and that due process is followed across the country.

He was optimistic that the perpetrators of the recent siege on the National Assembly have learnt their lesson from the wide condemnation that has continued to trail their action.

Okpara told the Senate President that the visit was to show their solidarity with the National Assembly leadership for standing up in defence of democracy in the face of the recent siege to the complex by Department of State Services (DSS) operatives.

He condemned the DSS siege and declared that as national leaders of political parties, “we cannot sit by and watch our country slide into the Hobbesian state of anarchy, where life has become short, brutish and lawless”.