R-APC, APC clash over alleged plan by senators to unseat Saraki

– R-APC accused presidency and APC of planning to unseat Bukola Saraki

– The group claimed there are plans to bribe APC senators to impeach Saraki

– The APC has, however, denied this allegation

The Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) has accused the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of perfecting plans to induce some senators to impeach the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who recently decamped from the party.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Kassim Afegbua, R-APC claimed that there is a plot to lure PDP Senators, especially those who have pending corruption queries in order to put an end to their court cases once they defect to the APC, The Sun reports.

However, he APC dismissed the allegations as a cry of a drowning man. It claimed that it was nothing but cheap blackmail to discredit the ruling party.

In a statement signed by its acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the APC said: “It is a cry of a drowning man. Kassim Afegbua and his cohorts are trying to elicit sentiment and to make futile attempt to dent the integrity of the APC-led government. The reason why most of them are defecting is because the President Buhari-led administration is not sharing money which is the PDP philosophy.

“So this administration cannot inject tax payers money into impeaching the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This is a serious government and not a dead party called the PDP.

“What PDP is doing is to whip up sentiment before their final burial in 2019. National Assembly members have procedures on how a Speaker or President of the Senate can be impeached. And we believe that the APC lawmakers know their rules and they will apply it accordingly.

“The hierarchy of the APC have no business spending money to impeach these people because APC still commands the majority in both houses.

“Since Saraki has gone back to where he came from, he cannot preside over majority APC lawmakers. Therefore, we will use our numerical strength to remove him following the rule of law.

“So, let the PDP propaganda machine continue to raise false alarm. We will remain focused and ensure that President Buhari is not distracted by charlatans. Very soon, we shall separate the men from the boys.”

R-APC insisted that indeed, there were plots to oust Saraki. In fact, it claimed that apart from inducement, APC was shopping for a pliable judge from whom to procure either a black market injunction or order that would be used as alibi for the planned impeachment and takeover of the National Assembly and illegally reconvene it, before the September 25 resumption date.

Afegbua said: “The rumour making the rounds that Senator Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, would be impeached by crook or hook has remained unabated in the last few days. We can bring you news that the disputed leadership of the APC, working in cahoots with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice coupled with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation have perfected their plans to apply Gestapo methods to forcefully unseat the Senate President.

“A high-powered meeting of these persons was held at the Maitama residence of the disputed chairman of the APC on Thursday, 2nd August, 2018 where they brainstormed on the possible ways to carry out their illegality. The meeting, which lasted for three hours, insider source confirmed to us at the R-APC, explored both legal and illegal approach to execute the assignment of ensuring that Dr. Bukola Saraki ceases to be the Senate President.

“Having met a brickwall going by the legal processes involved before the Senate can be reopened, the disputed APC leadership is toiling with the barbaric idea of forcefully opening the National Assembly, reconvene the Senate and use the senators of the APC to preside over the planned impeachment. Senator Abdullahi Adamu has been penciled down to succeed Distinguished Senator Bukola Saraki, amidst a host of other changes in the Senate’s principal officers.

“Once the Senate leadership is overthrown in a coup d’etat manner, the Senate will immediately consider the virement budget of the INEC and also approve the pending nominations in the Senate. Part of the plot was to reach out to some PDP senators, especially those who have EFCC queries in order to give them a clean bill of health once they defect to the APC.

“We are by this statement alerting the nation and the international community of these barbaric, gangsteristic, primitive and rebarbative plots aimed at deliberately overheating the system and undermine law and order by sheer use of brute force.

“We are raising alarm because of the dangers this portends for democracy, especially in an already fragile political atmosphere that has played host to several fluctuations and militarisation in the last two weeks.

“Part of the plot is to seek out what they called a “friendly Judge” where they could procure either a blackmarket injunction or “Jankara” Court order that would be used as alibi for the planned impeachment and takeover of the National Assembly. We find all these plots as burdensome for a system that was already undergoing storm and stress, thus making us object of ridicule in the eyes of the world.

“It is benumbing to note that those who usually occupy the front seats when democracy is being discussed are the architects of these orchestrated plots peculiar with military regimes. Even when we understand that they could be carryover effects of military regime, we never knew they have assumed this frightening dimension.”

TRACK NEWS earlier reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it will determine if Senator Bukola Saraki will retain his position as Senate president or not.

The national vice chairman of the APC (South South), Hilliard Eta, said this in reaction to allegation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that they were trying to force a change of leadership in the Senate.

It insisted that it remains a democratic party and will not try to undermine democratic processes.