Embattled Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial district, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege yesterday, apologised to the Senate for his comment against sequence of general elections bill passed by the Senate last week.
This is even as Northern Senators Forum removed Sen. Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) as their chairman.
The bill which followed a conference report of the Committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the House of Representatives and Senate was adopted by the red chambers.
Having failed in his bid to stop the bill from scalling 3rd Reading on the floor of the Senate, the senator in the company of eight others, staged a walk-out.
They included, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Malam Ali Wakili, Abu Ibrahim, Abdullahi Gumel, Binta Masi, Yahaya Abdullahi, Andrew Uchendu, Umaru Kurfi and Benjamin Uwajumogu
The group led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu claimed that lawmakers against the bill were 59, insisting that the passage of the sequence of elections bill by the Senate was wrong.
During the briefing, Omo-Agege asserted: “you don’t make a law to target one person. The perception is that the law is targeted at the president. I will continue to protest it. I can tell you it will not become a law”.
However, at Tuesday’s plenary, Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi West) raised a point of Order and drew attention of the Senate to what he called derogatory statement against the Senate by Ovie Omo-Agege.
“My colleague, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, addressed the media last week. He said the decision taken by this senate was targeted at President Buhari.
I cannot be part of any group of persons to move against the president; the allegations are weighty.
To now allege and put the integrity of the senate under check that the amendment was tailored towards the president is unheard of; it is in bad taste.
I want to ask that the statement made by Omo-Agege, among other statements, be investigated by the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions.
They need to find out if our actions were targeted at the president, he added”, Sen, Melaye demanded.
The order was upheld, and referred to Senate Committee on Ethics, Public Petitions and Priviledge to revert in two weeks.
However, midway into yesterday’s plenary, the embattled lawmaker, through order 43, asked that he be forgiven for the comment:.
“Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, yesterday, Sen. Dino Melaye raised a point of order over my comment last week, that the sequence of election was targetted against President Buhari. I wish to apologise for my comment”, he pleaded.
Responding, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu asked the appropriate Committee to expeditiously dispense investigations bearing in mind the lawmaker’s apology.
Meanwhile, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) has been removed as chairman of the Northern Senators Forum over financial misconduct.
The announcement was made by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the plenary on yesterday.
Senator Adamu, who has been the Chairman of the forum in the 8th Assembly was alleged to have mismanaged the lawmakers’ N70m.
He has been replaced by Aliyu Wamakko (APC, Sokoto).
Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, read a letter from the Northern Senators Forum, at close of plenary yesterday, stating that Sen. Abdullahi Adamu has been removed as the Chairman.
The letter which was signed by the Spokesman of the forum, Senator Dino Melaye, accused Adamu of misappropriating monies meant for the forum.
Senator Aliyu Wamako, former Governor of Sokoto State was, however, announced as new Chairman of the forum.
Briefing newsmen after plenary, Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) said the removal of Adamu may not be unconnected to the sudden disappearance of N70m belonging to the forum.
Sani explained that the leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, who presided over the forum in the 7th Assembly, handed over N70m to Senator Adamu at the wee hours of the 8th Assembly.
He said, the money was, however, alleged to have been stolen from the farm of Senator Adamu located in Nasarawa State.
“There was allegation that some monkeys raided the farm house and carted away some monies”, he told journalists.
