Read how APC senators are seriously plotting to impeach Saraki

The plot involves garnering the signatures constitutionally required to impeach the senate president and using law enforcement to smother whatever stands in the way, the sources enumerated.

Saraki was never the APC’s choice for the position of Senate President in 2015.

However, the Kwara born politician joined forces with senators from the PDP and was elected senate president; whilst APC senators were locked in a strategy meeting with party godfather Bola Tinubu, hundreds of meters away from the national assembly complex.

Saraki's deal with the PDP led to the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President--much to the APC's chagrin.

Saraki has never known peace sincehe defied and double crossed his party three years ago. He has been slammed with a slew of corruption charges and he’s sometimes been treated as a pariah, as the APC took feeble steps to fix a badly damaged country.

The senate president has maintained that his trials and travails have been politically motivated.

Saraki finally rejoins old party

Following a series of face-offs and cold wars with the APC hierarchy,Saraki announced his decision to return to the PDP on July 31, 2018.

However, Saraki’s insistence on staying on as senate president even though his new party—the PDP—numerically remains the minority in parliament, has set in motion a high powered plot to have him impeached.

Last Wednesday, Punch quoted House Deputy Minority Leader, Hon Chukwuka Onyema (PDP) as saying that three APC senators in Ali Ndume, Abdullahi Adamu and Ovie Omo-Agege attempted to break into the senate chamber on Wednesday, August 1, 2018 but were prevented from doing so by security personnel.

Onyema said the plan by the APC senators revolves around reconvening plenary before September and cooking up the figures constitutionally required to impeach Saraki as senate president.

The APC requires two thirds majority of lawmakers (that’s 76 senators) to be able to impeach Saraki in a 109 member senate.

At the last count, the APC has 52 senators to PDP’s 51.The APC believes that the two vacant seats in Bauchi and Katsina will eventually add to its numerical column.

ALSO READ:Here's what the law says about Saraki remaining senate president

“Already, some riot policemen have arrived. They will tell us what they are here to do when the senate is on recess. They want to repeat the Benue incident here, but we are ready to protect democracy”, Onyema was quoted as saying by the daily.

'Illegal sitting'

A Saraki ally and former spokesperson of the APC, Timi Frank, reminded the senators cooking up the plot that no other person can reconvene the senate except its presiding or principal officers.

Frank said “the Special Adviser to the president on national assembly matters (senate), Ita Enang was caught on video leading about 10 APC Senators, led by the Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan to meet with the president and to urge the president to provide them security to enable them forcefully open the doors of the senate chambers and conduct an illegal sitting.

“This, if allowed to happen, will not only represent a clear breach of the constitution but the height of illegality and impunity in this country. The APC senators are only interested in gaining access to the chambers to carry out a sinister motive against the presiding officers of the senate.

Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal who joined Saraki out of the APC this week, warned that attempts to unseat Saraki through the back door will be resisted by the PDP.

"When I hear that some people are trying to break into the chambers of the senate to steal the mace and install a pseudo president of the senate, I wonder whether they actually know the rules of our democratic engagement. It’s not a gestapo, we are in a democracy.

“If the senators have confidence in Bukola Saraki, they should continue to sustain him as president of the senate. And so be it with Mr. Speaker Dogara.

“So, nobody should be afraid. There is a process. And we must respect due process and rule of law. And Nigeria is not a banana republic. We will not take it from anybody. Let them hear it very clear. If you try it, we will march out our forces in this country and jam you", Tambuwal warned.

'Hand over the crown'

However, APC Chairman Adams Oshiomhole has asked Saraki to relinquish the crown after jumping ship.

According to Oshiomhole: “The only thing is that there are other consequential issues that every man or woman of honour who had taken such decisions, would be expected to follow through.

“I mean, you should not collect a crown that belongs to a family and wear it on behalf of the family if for your personal reasons which he has enumerated, he has gone to another family.

“It is just a matter of honour to leave the crown in the house that the crown belongs to.

“As it stands even now, APC is still the largest party in the Senate. We have 53 senators, that is much more than PDP or APGA has.”

'No peace in the senate if Saraki remains senate president'

Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC) has also warned that there will be no peace in the senate until Saraki is removed as president of the upper legislative chamber.

“I think it is commendable that he has left the party. He has chosen the path of survival because it is the issue of political survival not anything for Nigeria”, Ibrahim said.

“But next is for him to resign as senate president, because by all conventions all over the world, the majority party produces the leadership; senate president, the majority leader and others.

“Again, let him be gentleman enough and resign as senate president.

“If he does not, we will never have peace in that senate because it is absolutely clear that APC has majority to produce the leadership.

“If you fail to give us the right leadership and if majority of us don’t want you any more, you have to leave.

“Saraki was elected by us. At any time majority of us say he should go, he has to go”.

Pulse understands that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC and the senators who are yet to defect to the PDP, will ramp up clandestine meetings next week as they seek Saraki’s exit.