Obanikoro’s Appointment: APC Senators Urge Mark To Call Abaribe To Order

Seal_of_the_Senate_of_Nigeria.svgAll Progressives Congress Senator on Tuesday expressed disappointment in the comments credited to the Senate Committee Chairman on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Eyinnaya Abaribe, following their opposition to the screening and confirmation of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro as Minister.

Abaribe, had, while reacting to the decision of the APC senators last week, told journalists that his colleagues were equally guilty of the offence which they were accusing Obanikoro of committing.

According to him, if some APC senators had cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and had not been thrown out of the Senate because they were assumed to be innocent, the case of Obanikoro could not be different.

He had said: “Even some of the senators who have addressed the press conference and spoke about the qualification or non-qualification of Senator Obanikoro are enjoying this privilege because some of them have EFCC cases and they are still in this Senate because of this privilege of being innocent until proven guilty. And so, they cannot go to a press conference and convict somebody when the person has not been convicted by a court law. They cannot enjoy that privilege themselves and sit in this Senate and then turn around and say somebody else cannot enjoy that privilege”.

But the APC senators did not find his comment funny and asked Senate President, David Mark, to call the Abia-South Senatorial District senator to order.

Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Senate Minority leader, Senator George Akume, who raised a point of order shortly before the commencement of plenary, noted that Abaribe’s statement was capable of threatening the camaraderie in the red chamber.

The minority leader, who cited Orders 42 and 53, sub-section 9, said the senate spokesperson exceeded his limits by insinuating that some members of the opposition APC in the senate who opposed Obanikoro’s clearance, were on the watch list of the anti-graft commission.

According to Akume, Abaribe has always spoken for himself and not the Senate, which he represents.

“Actually, I rise to make a very brief comment on the event we had here last week. I want to say that as a family, we have been working very closely in the interest of the country. We were surprised that because of our disagreement over one of the nominees, the Senate, through the Chairman on Information, went to the press and said that we have no right whatsoever to question the confirmation of the nomination of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro because many of us have cases pending with EFCC.

“That was not what was discussed here. I want us to take very judicious notice of this. I do not want us to castigate ourselves. We are in a position to speak more on this because of the integrity of the Senate, which has refused to make any comment on this.

“The Senate, through Abaribe cannot say that that was what we discussed here. We have observed repeatedly that whenever Abaribe speaks, he speaks for himself. Mostly, he does not speak for the Senate. Mr. President, we are calling on you to call Abaribe to order. What he said has no basis whatsoever. If we want to talk about ourselves, we are free to say so”, Akume said.

To prevent the plenary from degenerating into a raucous session, Mark urged Akume to sit down, having made his point, before he announced adjournment till March 31 to give the lawmakers time to prepare for the March 28 elections.

Mark said, “Akume, I thought you made a point already that because of the Senate, you would not want to say much, you should not. So, I have noted your observation. Thank you”.