Senate Supports Tambuwal, Vow To Protect Legislature

The President of the National Assembly, David Mark has lamented the withdrawal of security details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and vowed to protect the Legislature.


Mark who spoke during sitting on Wednesday, said he will do all he can to resolve the issue which has already been taken to court, Punch reports.

He said: “We are not to interfere in the internal affairs of each house. However, as the Chairman of the National Assembly, I cannot fold my arms or pretend that all is well about the current crisis.
“I am therefore going to do all I can to resolve the current impasse. Furthermore, the matter is already in a court of law, we cannot therefore discuss the issues here. I want to assure all of you that I will do the needful to protect and defend the legislature at all costs.”

David Mark

The Senate abruptly adjourned sitting to November 11, without taking decision on any issue, including the bills before it, a move which was protested by the All Progressives Congress Senators.
While the PDP senators echoed yes to the Senate President’s question on whether the sitting should be adjourned as moved and seconded accordingly, their counterparts in the APC shouted nay but Mark ruled in favour of the former.

It was learnt that the real reason for the abrupt adjournment of the Senate was to enable the PDP senators to have enough time to fine tune strategies for contesting the congresses, which ensured that only candidates of governors emerged as delegates.

After adjournment, members of the PDP caucus, led by Mark, immediately went into a crucial meeting at the Hearing Room One in the chamber to discuss ways on how to confront President Jonathan and the PDP over their displeasure with the conduct of their party’s ward congresses.

However, the adjournment was condemned by APC senators who were displeased that the PDP Caucus had decided to cripple activities in the Senate over personal interests.

According to the spokesperson for the APC caucus, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, the PDP senators were insensitive to issues of national interests but were rather more concerned with the battle that they were having with their governors over PDP’s structures in their various states.

He said: “While we are in sympathy with our colleagues for their fate in the hand of the President and the governors in their respective states, we in the APC Senate Caucus, however condemn the habit of prioritising personal interests over national interests at the expense of the people that they swore to protect.

“We had planned today (Tuesday) to raise the issues of insecurity to Nigerians and the trend of insecurity in Nigeria. Mubi, which is the second largest town in Adamawa State, has been overrun by terrorists. Nigerians in that area are fleeing their homes, afraid and uncertain of the preservation of their lives. Emirs are being driven from their palaces.

“A foremost cement factory in Gombe State has been taken over by Boko Haram, according to news reports. Many may not believe the alarm raised by the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Zanna Mustapha, that it is just a matter of weeks before Boko Haram takes over the whole state, but the reality is even scarier than this.

“Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters in the PDP do not see it this way. They rather prefer to bicker over party nomination and return tickets.”

He added that the APC senators were ready to work but their PDP counterpart was making it impossible.
Recall that some senators of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had on Tuesday threatened to impeach President Jonathan for working against their political interests in their various states.