Omo-Agege says APC caucus will humiliate Senate President out of office

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta Central - APC) has vowed that the Senate caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will humiliate Senate President, Bukola Saraki out of office.

The lawmaker told The Punch on Thursday, August 23, 2018, that anti-Saraki Senators are looking for the slightest opportunity to execute his impeachment which has been talked about for weeks.

Ever since he dumped the APC for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in July, the ruling party has been putting pressure on Saraki to resign from his position or face impeachment.

Days before he officially defected, the national assembly adjourned legislative sittings till September 25 during plenary on July 24, amid a controversial clampdown by security operatives on Saraki and Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

The alleged witch-hunt raised even more concerns when operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS)invaded the national assembly complex on August 7, 2018.

While speaking on Thursday, Omo-Agege said the caucus is completely committed towards the plan to impeach Saraki and expressed his confidence that he'll be disgraced out of office.

He said, "We have the information that they want to reconvene a joint session and that is completely unacceptable to us. Of course, we won't accept it. The Senate itself has to be reconvened for this purpose. The reason (for postponing the planned recall on Tuesday) is that he knows that we have the numbers now - and indeed we have the numbers now - to remove him. Any opportunity that we have right now, we will get rid of him.

"They have no choice, they have to (reconvene). They are just postponing the evil day. The credibility of the 2019 elections is at stake and it would be a jeopardy if because of Saraki's selfish interests he refuses to reconvene the Senate towards approving this budget.

"Saraki must understand that the national interest ought to supersede his personal and selfish interest. He cannot tie down the fate of the entire country just because he wants to hang on a position that we are determined to remove him from.

"We as a caucus are very resolute to remove him and at the slightest opportunity he gives to us, he is gone. We have said that he ought to do the honourable thing, the right thing by stepping down, otherwise he would be humiliated. We have the numbers and we are going to remove him."

In response to Omo-Agege's threat, The Punch reported that Saraki's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, described the lawmakers behind it as gutter dwellers.

He said, "We maintain our position that these are dwellers in the gutter and we won't allow them to drag us into it. No, we won't allow them to drag us into the gutter. There are some of them who actually should be in jail now because of their conducts. It is because they have state protection that they are not in jail."

Why Senate won't reconvene yet - Saraki

The APC has called on Saraki several times to reconvene the Senate to consider the budget for the 2019 general elections sent by President Muhammadu Buhari last month, with the party calling his refusal an act of 'high treason'.

However, in a statement jointly issued by Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday, August 14, they noted that recalling members of the National Assembly at the moment would be 'irresponsible' as joint Senate and House Committees don't yet have reports on the budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the elections.