…Malami meets with Saraki

From Fred Itua, Abuja

The battle of wits between the Senate and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, seemed to have escalated as Bukola Saraki threatened to order the AGF’s arrest if he failed to appear before the committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
Saraki’s position followed a point of order raised by David Umaru, chairman of committee at plenary.
Malami failed to honour Senate’s invitation twice –June 21 and 30- to explain  the reason for the charge of forgery he instituted against Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu at the Abuja High Court. Although the AGF sent a representative on the second occasion, the committee did not give him audience.
But a few hours after Saraki’s threat, Malami reportedly held a closed door meeting with the senate president in his office at the National Assembly.
Feelers that a rapproachment was in the offing had emerged when Umaru, in his report at plenary, said the AGF had reached out to the committee through the Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang and regretted his inability to appear in person.
Saraki said: “We all heard the explanation of the chairman on Judiciary committee. And what he is trying to get across to us here is to tell us the status of the situation because what we have been reading in the papers was of great concern where the number one judicial officer of the country will be the one that will be flouting the Constitution.
“Section 89 (c) of the 1999 Constitution is very clear. But it appears from what you are saying that the AGF is requesting for one more chance to be given to appear before you. And I think as a Senate, it is always in the progress of development. And as such we will do that and ensure that he comes this time, otherwise we will have no choice than to follow the constitution strictly.”
The meeting between Saraki and Malami, Daily Sun gathered, was facilitated by Enang for the embattled AGF to formally tender an apology to Saraki over his recent remarks on his refusal to honour the invitation of the Senate.
Investigation revealed that the Senate was already exploring constitutional means to  get back to Malami. The options include a bench warrant or outrightly move for his removal from office as the number one law enforcement officer.
However, the crisis rocking the Senate, may be far from over, as fresh indications emerged that there was a grand plot to suspend the masterminds of the petition to the police which landed Saraki and his deputy in trouble.
Also, tempers reportedly flared at the closed-door session held by the senators. The day’s plenary had barely kicked off at about 11am, when the lawmakers went into an executive session. It lasted for about 1.20 minutes. Unlike the usual tradition, Saraki did not reveal the outcome of the closed-door session.
But a senator said the session was called to compel lawmakers who wrote the petition against the Senate leadership to withdraw it.
Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi (APC, Kaduna North) and Kabir Marafa (APC, Zamfara Central) who wrote the petition in June 2015, soon after the 8th Senate was inaugurated, were said to have refused.
This, the source said, sparked the strom.