APC insists that Senate President will be impeached

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reiterated that Senate President Bukola Saraki

“We reiterate that the Senate President being a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in an All Progressives Congress (APC) numerically-dominated senate cannot maintain a minority rule in the Upper House”, the APC said in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Yekini Nabena.

The APC also reacted to a statement from the splinter R-APC over declaring Senator Godswill Akpabio’s seat vacant.

Akpabio resigned as senate minority leader on August 4 and defected to the governing APC on August 8.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kassim Afegbua, the R-APC said Akpabio’s seat has become vacant in line with section 68 of the constitution because there is no division in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“We are calling on the senate president to invoke the provisions of section 68 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) in declaring the seat of senator Godswill Akpabio vacant.

“It is not on record that there is division in the opposition PDP, hence this declaration will be a step in the right direction”, the statement read.

'R-APC looking for attention'

In its response, the APC said “we normally do not respond to the so-called, 'Reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC)' because it is neither a duly-registered political party nor a faction as it labours to sell to the public.

“The content of their statement particularly the request to the Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki to declare the seat of Senator Godswill Akpabio vacant, is a borrowed and scripted tactic - sensationalism and comical conspiracies - typically used by unknown groups to get media attention to their normally unserious activities. The statement should not be given any attention and credence.

“The real issue remains our clear position that the Senate President honourably steps down or be impeached. Dr. Saraki's 'vote of no confidence' which the so-called RAPC alleges has since been passed going by our party's rejection of his leadership of the Senate”.

The APC has ramped up moves to impeach Saraki as senate president and its Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole has insisted that Saraki will be impeachedin accordance with the tenets of the constitution.

In his response Saraki said, "the position of Oshiomhole and his cohorts in the APC that the senate president must resign is a mere wishful thinking. They will continue to dream about their planned removal of the senate president. They will need 73 Senators to lawfully remove Dr. Saraki and they will never get that in the present eight senate".