•Warns APC senators against attacking Buhari
Fred Itua, Abuja
Former governor of Nasarawa State and senator representing Nasarawa West, Abdullahi Adamu, has revealed why the leadership of the Senate is after him.
Last week, the chamber mandated its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, to investigate an alleged telephone conversation between Adamu and some unnamed people, wherein he reportedly plotted to destabilise the Senate.
In a lengthy statement he personally signed and circulated to newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, Adamu said the “only crime that is considered heinous by the leadership of the Senate” was his caution to his colleagues, to respect the person and office of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I stood up on the floor of the Senate, in a raucous plenary, to caution against increasing show of disrespect to the person and the office of the president of the Federal Republic.
“I feared that this was becoming a pattern. I thought this was against the culture of the Legislature and we needed to pull back in order to maintain mutual respect between the Executive and the legislature.
“The National Assembly is the second arm of this administration.”
Adamu continues: “We cannot undermine the executive without undermining the government of which we are a part.”
“I did not think this was a crime but, it turned out I was wrong.
“To show their displeasure with my stand, my colleagues acted in a manner to impugn my integrity.
“First, there was the tendentious story put out in a press statement from the Senate, to the effect that I had been unceremoniously removed as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum and that senator (Magatarkada)Wamakko had replaced me.
“I did not bother to respond to the concocted lies because the Forum has a system of changing its leadership.
“Its affairs are not conducted in press statements emanating from strange and unauthorised persons,” he further stated.
Adamu warned his colleagues to tread carefully and cautioned against working to undermine president Buhari.
“Part of my crime is my stand on the amendment of the Electoral Act.
“In that controversial amendment, Senate sought to change the order of elections decided by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission, for the 2019 general elections.
“I and some of my colleagues were opposed to this amendment on the grounds that it is not the duty of the Senate to determine the order of elections.
“It had never been part of the Electoral Act and there was no need to deny the commission the right to do its duty, as it deemedfit.
“Happily, I am not alone in taking this stand. At least, some of my colleagues were opposed to it, too.
“We addressed a press conference to that effect. Our intention was not to insult the Senate but to register our principled stand on a matter that concerned all Nigerians.
“I believe we need to retrace our steps and reconsider our stand, as legislators, on matters of public interest.
“Our party, the All Progressives Congress, has majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, yet, we hold the executive prisoner of politics that are unhealthy for the polity.
“It is such terrible irony that we sabotage our own government by refusing to do our part in support of the executive.
“Appointments requiring Senate approval are held up. The consequence is that the public has nicknamed the president and his administration ‘go-slow.’
“The people gave us the mandate as a party to deliver. With our control of the executive and the National Assembly, there is no reason why government cannot acquit itself and fulfil the yearnings of the people.
“Perhaps, while we are consumed with sabotaging the administration and stabbing one another in the back, we forget that, in less than a year from now, we shall be required to seek the people’s revalidation of our mandate to sit in these hallowed chambers.
“What shall we tell them?”