Uncertainty As Senate, House Resume Plenary Today Over Leadership Crisis

The prospect of peaceful resumption in the two chambers of the National Assembly today was, yesterday, being clouded by uncertainty as the meeting with the House of Representatives and President Buhari ended in a deadlock.

The Femi Gbajiabiamila camp had alleged that Yakubu Dogara seeks to shut them out of the assembly complex in a statement issued during the week, while for the Senate, members of the Ahmed Lawan group are planning to Impeach Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu.

Governors of Edo and Kebbi State, Adams Oshiomole and Atiku Bagudu yesterday stated that the government of the All Progressives Congress, APC was not bent on removal of the deputy senate president, Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

The fears were upon the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to decisively reconcile the two camps of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the House at a meeting he summoned, yesterday evening. Before the failed meeting by the President which ended last night without a breakthrough, meetings by APC governors to reconcile the party’s brawling camps in the Senate also failed to produce a major result.

The statement issued by the National assembly during the week reads in part: “The Adhoc Committee on Code of Conduct of the House of Representatives hereby welcomes members from their working recess.

“Members may wish to note that the committee has been saddled with the responsibility of carrying out the functions of the Standing Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

“As we resume plenary on Tuesday 28, July 2015 (today), the committee wishes to call on all members to conduct themselves in an orderly manner. The committee will no longer tolerate any unruly behaviour by any member of the House no matter how highly placed.

“Members who have grievances are advised to explore peaceful avenues of seeking redress instead of resorting to violence on the floor of the House or the precincts of the National Assembly.

“There are adequate sanctions in place to penalise any member who may want to disrupt the peace during plenary, Committee meetings or other legislative functions of the House.

“The House will deal decisively with any member who violates the rules, disrupts plenary, or is found wanting of misconduct and other sundry offences.

“Members are admonished to demonstrate high standards of ethics consistent with the important role of Lawmaking and the 8th Assembly Legislative Agenda, which places emphasis on the well-being of the Nigerian people. We should all be guided accordingly.”