Lawmaker Asks Buhari to Wade into Senate Forgery Suit, Abia Legal Quagmire

• insists Democracy is on Trial

Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu

Former Majority Leader of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Jonny Obidinma saturday declared that recent developments in the country especially last Monday’s arraignment of Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu over forgery allegations as well as the scenario playing out in Abia State wee clear indications that ‘democracy is on trial in Nigeria’.

The former lawmaker who spoke with newsmen said the rate at which members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are presently hounded over “trumped up” allegations while other important things are left undone were clear indications that all is not well in the country presently.

He observed that the country was presently faced with plethora of challenges such as the militancy in the Niger Delta, the rampaging Fulani herdsmen, the pro-Biafra agitations by MASSOB and IPOB and the collapsing economy noting that adding crisis in the legislature and in Abia state would totally derail the entire democratic process.

He asked President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately rise to the challenge by arresting the situations before they degenerate to unmanageable level with capacity of plunging the nation into more serious problems.

Speaking specifically on the arraignment of the two Senate Leaders, Obidinma said it was unheard of that the executive would wake up and decide to meddle into internal business of another arm of government, describing it as a dangerous dimension to the “obvious onslaught against those who hold different views from those currently on the saddle of governance.”

He also frowned at the refusal of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to appear before the senate committee handling the issue, insisting that such action was a slap on not just the Senate but the entire National Assembly.

He appealed to the federal government to find amicable ways of resolving its present face-off with the senate in the interest of peace and progress of the County, noting that in view of the many challenges facing the country, the need for all the three arms of government to work harmoniously had become imperative.

On the goings on in Abia state over the state’s governorship tussle which has pitched Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu against Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah who was on Thursday presented with a Certificate of Return by the INEC as the validly elected governor of the state, the former legislator said there was need for all those involved in the issue to tread cautiously in order not to undermine democracy.

He urged the Attorney General of the Federation, Malami to wade into the matter with a view of restoring normalcy in the South-east states.