81 senators pass vote of confidence on Saraki, Ekweremadu

        

The Senate on Tuesday reconvened from its three-week break and passed a vote of confidence on its embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and other principal officers of the upper house.

The principal officers are the Majority Leader, Ali Ndume; Deputy Majority Leader, Bala Na’Allah; Chief Whip, Olusola Adeyeye and Deputy Chief Whip, Francis Aimikhena.

The vote of confidence came via a motion sponsored by Senator Samuel Anyanwu (Imo East) and 80 other senators.

The Senate comprises of 109 senators though the seat of the Borno Central Senatorial District is yet to be filled.

The motion was apparently in response to last week’s invitation of Mr. Saraki’s wife, Toyin, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over corruption charges.

Senators loyal to the senate president had questioned the invitation and linked it with the leadership crisis in the upper house.

Besides, Mr. Ekeremadu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, were quizzed by the police over alleged forgery of the Senate rules on June 9 when the senate president and his deputy were elected.

Mr. Saraki was elected unopposed by 57 senators, comprising mostly PDP members.

In the motion, Mr. Anyanwu noted with dismay the continued harassment of the Senate and senators, the National Assembly Management and spouses of senators by security agencies of government.

He said the Senate is determined to perform its constitutional duties and responsibilities without fear of favour.

He also said it is further determined to focus on matters of urgent matters of interest and importance to the ordinary people of Nigeria in view of the enormous challenges facing the nation.

Mr. Anyanwu also noted what he called the sustained interference in the internal affairs of the Senate by detractors and media propaganda against the Senate and senators by “selfish politicians”.

He therefore urged his colleagues to pass a vote of confidence on Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu and the entire leadership.

The senators also called “on the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies in Nigeria not to allow themselves to be used by any person or persons to harass, intimate or blackmail the Senate, senators and or their spouses”.

The motion was adopted by all the senators present at the session.