"I will not step down," Senate President says APC cannot impeach him

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has again responded strongly to calls for him to resign or get impeached, boasting that the opposition does not have the numbers to impeach him as the head of the upper legislative chamber.

While speaking to journalists in Minna, Niger State on Sunday, September 16, 2018, the lawmaker, a presidential aspirant, said it's impossible for him to step down.

Ever since Saraki dumped the All Progressives' Congress (APC) for the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) in July, the ruling party has led the charge for him to be impeached as leader of the Senate several times.

In response, Saraki said the party does not have the majority required to impeach him and said he won't step down as that would constitute acting in personal interest.

He said, "The APC members know that we are in the majority and whatever they want to do they know that they don't have the number.

"The other kite they are trying to fly is asking me to step down from my seat, but I can tell you that this cannot be possible as I will not step down.

"One thing is very clear and that is to say that I will not sacrifice the interest of the country for my personal interest and in the last three years as a Senate president, I have demonstrated that my interest is second to that of national interest."

The Senate President also rubbished calls for the National Assembly to reconvene, saying the decision to go on recess was agreed by all lawmakers.

He said, "We did not adjourn the Senate in the dark; there was a procedure where at the end of the session there was a vote and it was seconded that we should go on the annual recess.

"So it wasn't anything done in the secret, everybody was there. It is not that some few people met somewhere and took the decision. Everybody participated and everybody took the decision that we should adjourn for a normal annual recess."

"We took a similar decision last year and even two years ago and we agreed to resume on a certain date and it was the agreed date that we resumed, so there is nothing abnormal about the senate adjournment this year and what we are after is a country rooted in the rule of law and a democratic process.

"What is important to me is to ensure the independence of the three arms of the government, to allow rule of law, to ensure that we respect the democratic process."

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, in what has been described as a witch-hunt orchestrated by the executive.

Saraki is running for president on the platform of the PDP and assured Nigerians that his presidency will create harmony in a divided country.

He said, "The country needs a President that can unite everybody, the country needs a leader where all Nigerians will have sense of belonging, the country needs a youthful president, the country needs a President that understands how the executive and legislature work together and not in an environment where there is no harmony."

Saraki to battle Atiku, Tambuwal, others for PDP's ticket

To clinch the PDP's ticket to contest in the 2019 presidential election, Saraki has to beat other aspirants including former vice president, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and former governors including Sule Lamido, Ahmed Makarfi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Jonah Jang and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Others are former Senate President, David Mark, former Senator, Baba Datti Ahmed, and former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki.