Saraki Disbands Buhari Support Group In Senate …As Court Rejects APC Senator’s Plea To Stop Suspension

The Senate President, BukolaSaraki, yesterday ordered the immediate disbandment of the Parliamentary Support Group in the Senate.
His directive was met with no resistance from members of the pro-Buhari group.
It is not clear if Dr Saraki as Senate President, has such constitutional powers to disband a freely formed group. especially as the constitution guarantees freedom of association. However, none of the members of the pro-Buhari group, r aised objection whren Mr Sararki gave the directive.
The group was formed in March by pro-Buhari Senators, after a face-off with their colleagues on the amendment to the electoral act.
Early this month, members of the group including Abdullahi Adamu, OvieOmo-Agege, Abu Ibrahim, Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, BabajideOmoworare, Ali Ndume, openly identified with President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura as his parliamentary support group.
The Senate, adopting a motion moved by Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto -APC), also mandated its committee on Ethic, Privileges and Public Petitions, t probe both ,Mr Adamu amd Mr Omo-Agege for their roles as chairman and Secretary of the group respectively.
Earlier yesterday, Mr Omo-Agege was suspended by his colleagues for accusing them of working against Mr Buhari’s re-election bid in 2019 through the amendment of the electoral act.
While debating on the report that led to the suspension of the secretary of the group, OvieOmo-Agege, the existence of the group was once again mentioned by KabirMarafa (Zamfara, APC).
“Mr President, in as much as I am against the suspension of any senator, but I am equally against the formation of any other group in this chamber. The formation of the parliamentary support group is evil and it should not stand, it is counter-productive and against the president himself,” Marafa said.
Ruling over the issue, Saraki ordered the group to be disbanded.
“Distinguished Colleagues, a number of points have been raised. One borders on the issue of preserving the integrity of this institution. To me, that is what i think is the most important thing for us.
“Second, is where we take actions that are not sincere. I think in this chamber, if we want to talk about who has the right to say he is chairman of a Parliamentary Support Group for Mr President both by action and by what we have done, I think that I have the right to lead that more than anyone else here.
“Those of us that understand politics, understand that because of our own peculiar interest, sometimes some people decide to act like they are holier than thou or more committed — at the expense of others. This is not something that we should tolerate, and I believe that in an institution like this we must show discipline, but at the same time we must also show compassion.
“Distinguished Colleagues, there must be discipline. We must show that such groups must be suspended and the case in court must be withdrawn. I think by that we would have captured, no more of these kind of groups in the Senate,” he said.
The disbandment of the group was also part of the recommendations adopted by the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja has rejected an ex parte application filed by the Delta Central senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, to stop his suspension by the Senate.
He had, on April 3, filed the ex-parte application before Justice NnamdiDimgba, asking the court to order that “all further proceedings against the plaintiff (the senator) in respect of the allegations referred to the first defendant’s (Senate’s) Committee for Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition” be halted pending the hearing and determination of his main suit.
He asked the court to order parties to the main suit earlier filed on March 26, 2018 “not to consider, act on or give effect to any recommendation, resolution or decision of the first respondent’s (Senate) committee for Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition.”
The defendants to the suit are the Senate, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. AbubakarMalami (SAN).
But the Senate yesterday suspended the Senator for 90 days over his comment that the amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 to reorder the sequence of polls in a general election was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.
This came after the Federal High Court in Abuja had, on Wednesday, rejected his ex-parte application requesting that parties be ordered to maintain status quo by suspending all actions concerning the issues raised in respect of the case.
Last Wednesday, Omo-Agege’s lawyer, Mr. E.R. Emukpoeuo, had moved his client’s ex parte application filed before Justice NnamdiDimgba on April 3, 2017.
Ruling, however, Justice Dimgba refused to grant the order, directing the parties to maintain status quo.