Senate President says he won't play in the gutter with Oshiomhole, APC executives

Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has disclosed that he wont get down in the gutter to fight with the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who recently accused him of committing treason.

In a statement issued by the APC's Acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, on Tuesday, August 14, 2018, the party described Saraki's failure to reconvene the National Assembly as an action bordering on high treason.

In reaction to the statement, Saraki's Special Adviser Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the senate president refuses to be dragged down to the dirty level of the APC's NWC led by Oshiomhole.

He said, "These people are in the gutter. All they want to do is to drag people to their own level. We can't join them in that gutter. It is also unfortunate that such an allegation would come from a ruling party.

"Nigeria is unfortunate to have characters like that presiding over a ruling party. It is very clear why Nigeria is where it is right now. With such people in office, a country like Nigeria cannot move forward."

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

This was reiterated in Tuesday's statement when the party called on him to resign from his position as leader of the "APC majority Senate" or be dishonourably impeached.

The ruling party also alleged in Tuesday's statement that Saraki and the PDP were plotting to employ thugs to attack APC Senators over the ongoing plot to remove him as Senate President.

The party said several APC lawmakers will be lured to a meeting by PDP and then harmed with hired thugs to prevent them from attending legislative sittings that could lead to Saraki's impeachment.

The ruling party further alleged that the plot is a follow-up to Saraki's previous attempt to buy over APC Senators with N100 million each to upset the party's majority in the Senate.

Why National Assembly won't reconvene soon - Saraki, Dogara

In a statement jointly issued by Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday, 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 INEC budget request sent by President Muhammadu Buhari last month.

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.

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