“I do not admire politicians; but when they are excellent in
their way, one cannot help allowing them their due.” —Horace Walpole
As lovers of true democracy acknowledge the historic
emergence of a bipartisan legislature—made possible by the return of Senator
Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President of the 8th National Assembly, there
have also been disenchanted voices of some anti-democratic elements who appear
hell-bent on subverting the nation’s nascent democracy. Some of them have even
gone to the extent of calling for the resignation or impeachment of the duly
elected and constitutionally-backed Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike
Ekweremadu just to satisfy their greed.
It is no longer news that the Enugu-born Senator was duly
elected by his colleagues in the Red Chamber to lead them as Deputy Senate
President together with Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as Senate President.
The process that brought them to office also demystified
political demi-gods and in the event succeeded in securing the independence of
the legislative arm of government, which in turn gave birth to a bipartisan 8th
National Assembly. It still baffles the imagination of discerning minds that
those anti-democratic elements who hitherto were challenging the
constitutionality and credibility of Senator Saraki’s election as Senate
President, are now unleashing their frustrations on Senator Ekweremadu for
being elevated to the office of Deputy Senate President. They probably see him
as a soft target they would unlawfully stampede out of office as compensation
for their loss of the Senate Presidency—for no other offence or breach of the
Nigerian constitution than being a member of opposition, PDP—which has a
formidable number of lawmakers in the National Assembly.
The frightening aspect of the game of wits being employed by
these irritated and disillusioned lawmakers is that they have resorted to
allegedly under hand appraoch as wellas underground deals to influence the
impeachment of Senator Ekweremadu to pave way for one of their own to emerge as
Deputy Senate President against the spirit and intents of the nation’s
constitution which stipulated the process of electing and removing principal
officers of National Assembly.
Those who are embarking on this ill-fated mission should
bear in mind that Nigeria of 21st century has out-grown this national
embarrassment motivated by hatred, strife, ethnicity and ignorance of the law;
inspired by politics of bitterness. In every action, there is equal and
opposite reaction, therefore Nigerians will not sit back and watch those who
live on false impression that they are the owners of this country reopen the
wounds of the past in this unfolding conspiracy and ugly quest to render
South-East politically impotent by pushing for the impeachment or resignation
of Senator Ekweremadu, as if he does not have the mandate of his people to
represent them anymore.
Less than three weeks of being in the saddle as ruling
party, the APC should not forget in hurray that Nigerians prayed and worked
diligently for the post-election peace and tranquillity we have now in the
country. Former President Goodluck Jonathan—the unsung hero of African
democracy conceded victory to the then President-Elect, Muhammadu Buhari not as
an act cowardice but patriotism—which exemplified his clarion call that his
ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian without factoring in the
irrefutable fact that he had the power to reject the outcome of the elections
but did not, instead he transcended into heaven of statesmen by conceding
victory before the final result was announced.
If PDP that held sway for 16 consecutive years as ruling
party could relinquish The Presidency with all the leverages of power attached
to it not minding the irregularities that characterised the electoral process;
ranging from lopsided distribution of PVCs skewed against the stronghold of the
party, malfunctioning of Card Readers during and after elections,
ill-preparedness of INEC, etc.
So, if a former President with the power of incumbency at
his disposal and then serving Governors of PDP could concede victory to the
then opposition party, APC both at the Presidency and State levels,
respectively, why does the APC find it very difficult to concede victory to the
PDP with regards to the election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate
President? Why can’t the APC make this inevitable sacrifice for the peace of
this nation—after all one of their own—Senator Bukola Saraki is still the
President of Senate and Chairman of National Assembly?If APC wants to govern
Nigeria in peace, in synergy with a stable National Assembly, it should call to
order some of its aggrieved members who are stoking fire via their unguarded
utterances by calling for the impeachment of Senator Ike Ekweremadu for no just
cause, because any ill-conceived and mistimed action in the Red Chamber
propelled by inordinate ambition of a few will truncate the fragile and grave
yard peace being experienced in this country.
The recent unpatriotic, un-statesman-like, condemnable,
provocative and inciting statements credited to immediate past governor of Kano
State and former Presidential aspirant of All Progressive Congress, Senator
Musa Rabiu Kwakwanso is nothing to write home about. Senator Kwakwanso made
these highly inflammatory utterances when he demanded the immediate resignation
of Senate Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President or his exalted seat be declared
vacant by Senator Abubakar Saraki-led Upper Chamber.
This mind-illuminating article against the grand conspiracy
to impeach the duly elected Deputy Senate President, Senator Ekweremadu was not
borne out of fear of him being impeached—taking into considering the formidable
number of PDP Senators in the Senate but the consequence of this fire being
fanned by people like Senator Kwakwanso, who because of his ugly quest to
secure the appointment of FCT Minister at all cost is doing everything humanly
possible to appease the demi-gods of APC; at the same time sowing the seed of
discord in the polity by inciting Nigerians against a distinguished Senator who
has paid his legislative dues.
If I may ask, when did Senator Kwakwanso become a change agent?
Is he not the same person who rose to his political stardom by riding on the
back of the PDP as Minister for Defence under President Obasanjo and two-term
Governor of Kano State under the same party he is now pronouncing dead?Senator
Kwakwanso should wake from his illusions of impeaching the three terms Deputy
President of Senate and live with it, because Saraki/Ekweremadu bipartisan
leadership of 8th Senate has come to stay, no amount of conspiracy can retrieve
this wildly accepted mandate given to Saraki and Ekweremadu by their
colleagues.
Curled from Vanguard News
