Members of
the Senate Unity Forum, on Wednesday threatened to take a legal action
against the election of Senator Bukola Saraki, which, according to them,
did not follow due constitutional procedure.
The leader
of the group, Senator Barnabas Gemade, stated this while addressing
journalists at the National Assembly Complex, after he led members of
the group to stage a walkout in the chambers.
Gemade
said 51 senators were not allowed to take part in the election of the
Senate president because they were waiting for President Muhammadu
Buhari, who invited them to a meeting at the International Conference
Centre.
He said
his group would, very soon, challenge the alleged illegality in court,
“since it takes two-third of members to impeach the Senate president,
two third of the members should also have been in attendance before he
was elected on Tuesday.”
He said,
“Our right to participate in the election of the Senate president is a
constitutional right which cannot be taken away by any person or group
of persons.
“The Clerk
of the National Assembly knowing full well that the quorum for election
of the Senate president has not been met, went ahead to conduct an
election that shuts the door on about 51 other senators which would
remain unacceptable until what would meet democratic parameters was
done.”
But
members of the Like Minds Senators, at another news conference addressed
by Senator Dino Melaye, in company with four others, maintained that
due process was followed in the election of Saraki as Senate president.
Melaye
also dared the SUF members to challenge the action in court even as he
expressed full confidence that the case lacked necessary merit.
