APC Makes U-turn, Justifies Siege to National Assembly

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

After condemning the siege to the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Services on Tuesday, the All Progressives Congress Wednesday made a U-turn as it said the deployment was necessitated by fears of a plot to unleash violence on the parliament by supporters of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The party which issued two statements Tuesday dissociating itself from the siege and condemning the DSS action, issued another statement Wednesday morning justifying it.
While urging for a thorough probe of the entire incident, APC said it still maintains the call on Senator Saraki to resign his post as Senate President.
In the statement issued by the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabene, the ruling party accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and supporters of Senator Saraki of planning to forment trouble.

The party whose new position contradicted the earlier one said it had discovered that there was a plan hatched to cause violence at National Assembly.
“We are now aware that the timely intervention of the security operatives forestalled the planned violence which could have led to possible deaths, injuries and destruction of property in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
“Our investigations have now uncovered the sinister plot hatched by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to foment violence in the legislative chamber all in a bid to stop his impeachment,” it said.

APC also alleged that the move to reconvene the National Assembly by Saraki was to forestall his impeachment.
“Why did the Senate President mobilise thugs to the National Assembly who almost lynched Hon. E.J. Agbonayinma, the only APC federal lawmaker present, but for the timely intervention of security operatives.
“Why did the Senate President reconvene the National Assembly? Ostensibly as a pre-emptive move to frustrate federal lawmakers move to impeach him.
“Is it not curious that only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) federal lawmakers were present in their numbers-some as early as 7am, while the majority APC federal lawmakers were elsewhere holding a caucus meeting on the state of the nation.

“We call on security agencies and relevant bodies to as a matter of urgency probe these findings and take all necessary and legitimate action to stop these illegalities which pose a direct and ominous threat to our democracy.
“Whilst our contention with the leadership of the National Assembly as currently constituted is a matter of public record, we still believe that the legislature as an independent arm of government must be allowed free reign for vibrant contestation of ideas and values amongst its members within the context of their constitutional mandate and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

“Finally, we reiterate our call for the Senate President to resign from the position immediately as he no longer has the moral and legitimate ground to occupy that position as a member of the minority PDP. Going by the popular axiom, the majority will have their way, but the minority will have their say,” it said.