The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has said he would quit the leadership of the National Assembly if he is duly removed by his colleagues.
Saraki said he was not desperate to remain in power.
So also, he said, was his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Saraki, who, at a press conference he addressed on Wednesday, reacted to the siege laid to the National Assembly on Tuesday and the developments that followed, including the sack of the Director General of the State Security Service, SSS, Lawal Daura, stressed that if he was removed through constitutional means, he would leave the office.
His words: “Let me reiterate that neither myself, Deputy Senate President or Speaker belong to the class of politicians that are desperate to stay in power by all means and at all costs. The day, two thirds of our members feel they do not have confidence in our leadership, we will gracefully bow out. I repeat again and again, this is not about us, but about respecting the constitution and the rule of law.”
Saraki described as disheartening, the siege laid to the National Assembly by security agencies, saying it confirmed the fears that some cabals were at work within the ruling party.
“It beats one’s imagination how the head of a security agency could have authorised the brazen assault on the legislature that we saw yesterday. Only recently we saw in Benue how 8 members of the 30 members of State House of Assembly with the collaboration of security forces, DSS and police tried to impeach the Governor. Despite the threat to our lives, we shall continue to fight impunity and injustice in this country,” he said.
He said he was excited that Nigerians, by their actions on Tuesday, demonstrated the strong resolve not to give ground to oppression.
He said that the legislature, more than any other institution in Nigeria represented the will of the people.
“We are elected by the people, and an assault on the legislature is an assault on the people of Nigeria. The forcible shutdown of the legislature was an unconscionable assault on a national institution, and thanks to all your efforts, the aggressors have been put to shame.
“The resistance mounted by staff of the National Assembly, our colleagues in both chambers and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) who refused to leave the entrance of this Complex until the siege was broken, strengthens our faith in the people of this country. The rain fell, the sun rose, but Nigerians stood their ground in defence of democracy. With the strength of will demonstrated by everyone against unwarranted and unconstitutional militaristic might, the siege could not stand.
“By this, we have shown that Nigerians can resist government within government in whatever guise, and this is humbling for us. Those who sought to defend the attack on the National Assembly under our leadership for their selfish ends have further affirmed our belief in this country. They attempted to execute an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate without the backing of the law, but they faltered. We are confident that, together, we shall always defeat acts of unconstitutionality. The rule of law shall always prevail.”
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However, while thanking Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for sacking Daura as a result of the siege, he called for a probe of the case.
According to him, everyone culpable must be brought to book.
He said such a step would help prevent future occurrence of a similar situation.
