ABUJA – Muscle flexing between senators of Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressive Congress extractions, that has kept ministerial nominee, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi waiting, ended yesterday in the Senate sidetracking its rules to screen the candidate.
This is even as the PDP senators withdrew from participating in the screening on the ground that investigative report on petition against his candidature earlier laid at the table by chairman of Ethics and Privileges, Senator Sam Anyanwu was yet to be acted upon.
Prior to the screening, the Senate had gone into closed doors session, while Chief Amaechi came in a convoy of APC national leaders led by the chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and bigwigs of the federal government, including, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant-General of the Federation.
Shortly after the 1-hour secret meeting, chairman of Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, Senator Samuel Anyanwu was requested to lay at the Table, his investigative report on petitions against Amaechi’s candidacy, by “Integrity Group”, which he did.
Thereafter, a motion for screening was moved and the Amaechi train of political stalwarts including Chief Odigie-Oyegun, former majority leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, APC gubernatorial candidate for Rivers State, Chief Dakuku Peterside and Governor Rochas Okorocha was ushered into the chamber.
No sooner had Amaechi mounted the podium and introduced himself than Minority Leader Godswill Akpabio interrupted him with Order 43 of the Senate Rules, which provides for “Personal Explanation” at the “indulgence of the Senate” and “the leave of Senate President”.
The Minority Leader observed that the Senate was yet to look into the investigative report, to avail them with informed questions. As such, the PDP senators have resolved not to ask questions.
“So, we have no question for the nominee”, he stressed and asked rhetorically, “is that the decision of the PDP caucus?!” To this, the PDP senators chorused: “y-e-e-e-s!”.
In response, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno), sprung from his seat and asserted that, as the Majority Leader of the Senate, who has been saddled with providing guidance for the house, the document could not be discussed until copies have been distributed to members.
He submitted that since the opposition has no question for the nominee, he should, as one who has been a State Governor, Speaker of State House of Assembly, Chairman of Nigeria Conference of Speakers, Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum and the Director-General of the Buhari presidential campaign that saw to the enthronement of APC and the dethronement of PDP, he should be asked to “take a bow and go”.
Apparently dissatisfied with the Leader’s position, Senator Akpabio retorted that Senator Ndume was introducing a new phenomenon in which nominees needed not field questions from Senators before they were confirmed, warning that it was a dangerous trend.
He insisted amidst grudges from the APC senators, that the PDP refusal to pose questions to Hon. Amaechi did not mean that the nominee should not be asked questions.
Yet, unsettled with minority leader’s position, the majority leader reiterated his assertions thus: “it is my responsibility to guide the Senate and to sell the candidate to you”.
“You people…” he continued, but was interrupted by a chorus of “who are the you people?” from infuriated PDP senators and the chamber went buzzy. However, quick intervention of the presiding Senate President Bukola Saraki who announced that Sen. Ndume had withdrawn the words, calmed the frayed nerves.
The screening thereafter begun with the APC senators asking the questions.
In 1999, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi contested and won a seat to become a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly to represent his constituency. He was subsequently elected as the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Amaechi was elected the Chairman of Nigeria’s Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.
He was reelected into the State House of Assembly in May 2003 and was also re-elected as the Speaker.
In 2003 when the National Assembly moved to hijack the legislative functions of the State house of Assembly as enshrined in the constitution, he and his colleagues took the matter to Nigeria’s supreme court and the court gave a judgment that the control and supervision of local government is the prerogative of the State House of Assembly.
He contested and won the People’s Democratic Party primary for Rivers State Governor in 2007. His name was substituted and he took the case to highest court in the land, the Supreme court. He became Governor on 26 October 2007, after the Supreme Court pronounced him the rightful candidate of the PDP and winner of the April 2007 Governorship election in Rivers State.
Amaechi was appointed the Director-general of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Presidential Campaign.
