Lawan’s group threatens legal action against Saraki’s election

Members of the Senate Unity Forum, on Wednesday threatened to take a legal action against the election of Senator Bukola Saraki, which, according to them, did not follow due constitutional procedure. The leader of the group, Senator Barnabas Gemade, stated this while addressing journalists at the National Assembly Complex, after he led members of the group to stage a walkout in the chambers.

Gemade said 51 senators were not allowed to take part in the election of the Senate president because they were waiting for President Muhammadu Buhari, who invited them to a meeting at the International Conference Centre. He said his group would, very soon, challenge the alleged illegality in court, “since it takes two-third of members to impeach the Senate president, two third of the members should also have been in attendance before he was elected on Tuesday.”

He said, “Our right to participate in the election of the Senate president is a constitutional right which cannot be taken away by any person or group of persons. “The Clerk of the National Assembly knowing full well that the quorum for election of the Senate president has not been met, went ahead to conduct an election that shuts the door on about 51 other senators which would remain unacceptable until what would meet democratic parameters was done.”

But members of the Like Minds Senators, at another news conference addressed by Senator Dino Melaye, in company with four others, maintained that due process was followed in the election of Saraki as Senate president. Melaye also dared the SUF members to challenge the action in court even as he expressed full confidence that the case lacked necessary merit.