9th Assembly: Boroffice withdraws from Deputy Senate Presidency race

POLITICS

9th Assembly: Boroffice withdraws from Deputy Senate Presidency race

 

Ahead of Tuesday’s inauguration of the National Assembly, front-line contender for the position of Deputy Senate President, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, has withdrawn from the race.

In a statement signed by his Press Secretary, Kayode Fakuyi, stated that “in deference to President Muhammadu Buhari”, Senator Borofice steps down for another contender for the position.

It was gathered that the decision was rectified last night at the caucus meeting of All Progressives Congress, APC, Senators-elect.

A source however disclosed that the third-term senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District stepped down for Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from Delta State.

The press statement issued on Monday read, “Some weeks ago, Distinguished Senator (Prof.) Robert Ajayi Boroffice, OON declared intention, through letters addressed to Senators-elect, to seek the office of Deputy Senate President. The intention to contest was anchored on the deep conviction that with his excellent public service record, rich legislative experience and personality, he has the best credentials for the position.

“Consequently, he embarked on extensive consultations with party leaders, senators-elect and political groups. Indeed, everybody that was consulted agreed that he is eminently qualified to seek the office of Deputy Senate President.

“Instructively, majority Senators-elect have assured the senator of their support and the prospect of victory is high.

“However, in deference to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice has decided to withdraw from the race.

“For the support and solidarity, Senator Robert Ajayi Boroffice is grateful to Senators-elect. He is humbled by the warm embrace and great display of camaraderie.

“We appreciate the people of Ondo North senatorial district and our friends across the country for the prayers, support and goodwill messages.

“For the far-reaching endorsements, steadfastness and unflinching support, gratitude goes to all concerned political groups across the country especially, the APC Young Stakeholders group, the Women for Buhari and Osinbajo group, and the Ondo APC Youth League,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the stepping down of Borofice has reduced the number of aspirants jostling for the Deputy Senate President’s position.

Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Kabiru Gaya, Senator Francis Alimikhena and Ovie Omo-Agege have shown interest in becoming the Deputy Senate President of the ninth Senate.

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9th Assembly: APC announces preferred candidate for Deputy Senate Presidency, Deputy Speakership

POLITICS

9th Assembly: APC announces preferred candidate for Deputy Senate Presidency, Deputy Speakership

 

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally adopted Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege for the position of Deputy Senate President of the 9th National Assembly.

Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary, in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the NWC held in Abuja.

Issa-Onilu said that the meeting also endorsed Malam Muhammed Wase as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He added that the decision was taken after consultations with President Muhammadu Buhari, party stakeholders, and APC state governors.

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Senate Invasion: Senator Ovie Omo-Agege Should Be Investigated - CDHR

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Senate Invasion: Senator Ovie Omo-Agege Should Be Investigated - CDHR

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) on The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has called for thorough investigation into the invasion of the Senate by suspected hoodlums on Wednesday.

Thugs suspected to be loyal to the suspended Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial district, on Wednesday, invaded the red chambers and forcefully took away the mace. 

Few hours later, Sen. Omo-Agege was arrested in connection to the incident but was later released.

Reacting to the recent development, the CDHR President, Malachy Ugwummadu, speaking to Punch, described the situation as a terrible one if Sen. Omo-Agege was found guilty.

Ugwummadu said “I do not want to completely accept that the invasion was orchestrated by the suspended senator.

“But assuming that it is true, it will be more unfortunate and a very terrible situation for him.

“What was Omo-Agege doing in the Senate when he had already been suspended? All these must be thoroughly investigated.”

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Senate Thug Invasion: Ekweremadu Speaks On His Meeting With Osinbajo

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Senate Thug Invasion: Ekweremadu Speaks On His Meeting With Osinbajo

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has said he was at the Presidential Villa to update Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo, on what transpired earlier at the Red Chamber during plenary on Wednesday.

Ekweremadu and Osinbajo were having behind closed-doors meeting for hours after the invasion of the Senate chambers by suspected thugs.

Ekweremadu told state house correspondents at the end of the meeting that since the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, were out of the country, it was incumbent on him to intimate the Vice-President on the invasion of Senate by hoodlums.

He said: “I’m sure you are aware of the senate invasion today and we have to come and brief the vice-president because the president is not in town. It is appropriate for him to know. We are in a democracy; we are all in one government.

“It is the responsibility of the president or the vice-president to ensure that there is law and order in the country and once we have this kind of major development it is important that he is briefed at the earliest opportunity.

“The senate president is out of the country, it is, therefore, my responsibility to come over and brief the vice-president who has sympathised with us over what happened and he is going to join forces with us to ensure that we get to the root of the matter to make sure that this will not happen again.

“For us, it’s a threat to our democracy, the invasion of the parliament is not acceptable to any person, it’s not acceptable to me, it’s not acceptable to the VP, it’s not acceptable to my colleagues, I believe it’s not also acceptable to the president so those who acted this script must be on their own.”

He also appealed to the media to do its best in discouraging this “kind of brigandage”.

Ekweremadu also criticised Omo-Agege, wondering the right he had to enter into the red chamber when he was on suspension.

“All we need to do as a country is to ensure that this is forestalled and I want to appeal to the media to help us discourage this kind of brigandage so that people have to behave in a very responsible manner. But let me assure you that we are on top of the situation, we did our sitting today and we are going to continue tomorrow,” he said.

“Having suffered suspension, does Omo-Agege have legal right to enter the chamber? It was a breach of the law for him to force himself into the chambers, as I said police is still investigating we are going to find out the details of those who aided him to come in and then some of them I believe have been arrested and we will get to the root of the matter,” he added,

It could be recalled that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege allegedly led suspected thugs into the senate chamber to cart away the mace, which is the symbol of authority of the legislature.

Theodore Orji, a Senator from Abia state was speaking on the floor of the senate when the unwanted visitors broke in.

The senate immediately went into a closed-door session after which a spare mace was brought and it reconvened.

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Senate Thug Invasion, Stolen Mace Sponsored By People In The High Position - Ben Bruce

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Senate Thug Invasion, Stolen Mace Sponsored By People In The High Position - Ben Bruce

Ben Murray-Bruce, the Senator representing Bayelsa East constituency, has warned that the Senate will not be “cowed”, after thugs broke into the National Assembly and made away with the mace on Wednesday.

Writing on his verified Twitter handle, Ben Bruce insinuated that the incident was supported by people in high positions.

“What happened at the Senate was unfortunate. Just yesterday I mentioned that the tension in the country is worse than it was before Shagari was overthrown.

“Today this happened. Can the Senate be cowed? Can I be cowed? Anyone, no matter how high, who thinks so, should think again!,” he tweeted.

Thugs suspected to be loyal to the suspended Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial district, Ovie Omo-Agege had invaded the red chambers and forcefully took away the mace.

They broke into the chambers when plenary was going on, creating serious confusion and tension.

Few minutes later, the mace was recovered and the hallowed chamber resumed sitting.

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Stolen Mace: APDA Speaks On The Senate Invasion, Missing Mace

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Stolen Mace: APDA Speaks On The Senate Invasion, Missing Mace

The Advanced Peoples Democratic Party, (APDA) has described the invasion of the Senate Chamber by suspected thugs on Monday as a national embarrassment which must be handled with seriousness.

The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Tosin Adeyanju, called on the heads of security agencies to immediately commence investigation and ensure quick apprehension of perpetrators.

Adeniran advised the lawmakers not to bow to the pressure, but remain resolute in discharging their duties.

“We call on heads of security agencies to swing into action and bring the perpetrators of these enemies of democracy to justice.

“We equally appeal to NASS not to be deterred in its constitutional responsibilities to Nigerians,” Adeyanju added.

Thugs suspected to be loyal to the suspended Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial district, Ovie Omo-Agege had invaded the red chambers and forcefully took away the mace.

They broke into the chambers when plenary was going on, creating serious confusion and tension.

Few hours later, Sen. Omo-Agege was arrested in connection to the incident but was later released, after which he denied claims that he staged the incident.

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Lagos Senator Kidnapped Amidst Senate Invasion, Mace Stolen

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Lagos Senator Kidnapped Amidst Senate Invasion, Mace Stolen

The Senator representing Lagos West, Solomon Olamilekan was abducted by unknown gunmen at the National Assembly on Thursday.

Olamilekan also known as Yayi, was picked up in front of the building housing the two chambers, but he later escaped.

An aide of the lawmaker told The Cable that the incident might not be unconnected to his call for the sack of all the service chiefs on Tuesday.

“Yesterday at the floor of the plenary, senator Yayi Adeola, while lending his voice to the killings in Nasarawa he called for the sacking of all service chiefs and heads of security agencies.

“Today, before the mace was seized, Senator Yayi Adeola was actually kidnapped. Not attempted kidnapped by unknown gunmen at the national assembly right in front of the white house.

“They took him all the way to the house of reps – they were trying to escape through the villa gate; it was at that point he had to maneuver and jumped out of the vehicle. As I speak to you, he still has a sprain on his leg,” the aide said.

The lawmaker is said to be responding to treatment.

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Senate Stolen Mace Saga, An Attempted Coup - Senator Waku

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Senate Stolen Mace Saga, An Attempted Coup - Senator Waku

Elder statesman and former Senator representing Benue North-West District between 1999 and 2003, Joseph Waku, has described the snatching of the mace from the chamber as an attempted coup.

Waku, who likened the Wednesday’s incident to the days of Chuba Okadigbo as the Senate President, said the person behind the drama should be brought to book

He told Premium Times that, “It is not just our democracy but also our security. The person behind this should be brought to book. That (National Assembly) is an institution. It is an attempted coup. He should be tried for treason. The mace is the symbol of authority of the Senate and the Senate President is the chairman of the National Assembly. So it is an attempted coup and should be treated as such.

“In that case, there was no breakage. We took it, it was not stolen. It was during our vacation. We were on vacation. It was during Obj’s (President Olusegun Obasanjo) time and it was during a crisis.

“There was a plan to remove Okadigbo and we got wind of it and adjourned and took the mace. But the then deputy senate president, Haruna Abubakar, attempted to reconvene the Senate. They went and arranged for a fake mace but we intercepted it. Haruna wanted to preside as acting senate president.”

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Senator Ovie Omo-Agege Speaks On The Senate Invasion, Missing Mace

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Senator Ovie Omo-Agege Speaks On The Senate Invasion, Missing Mace

The Senator representing Delta Central district in the National Assembly, Ovie Omo-Agege, has reacted to the invasion of the Senate Chambers by suspected hoodlums.

The Senate Chamber was invaded earlier today by some thugs believed to be loyal to Senator Omo-Agege. Shortly after the mace was stolen, the Senate accused Senator Ovie Omo-Agege of sending thugs to steal the mace.

The Senator in his reaction, however, denied involvement in the theft of the mace.

A statement signed by his lawyer, Lucky Ajokperniovo, said that he only went to the Red Chamber on Wednesday, April 18 to resume work and sit for plenary, adding that he was only invited by the police to speak on his perspective and has been released.

The statement reads: “We are aware of several media reports suggesting that Senator Omo-Agege personally removed or encouraged anyone to remove the Mace of the Senate. This weighty allegation is not true at all.

“Following the said media reports on the Mace issue, the Police authorities decided to hear from Senator Omo-Agege. He has told the Police his perspective to help them carry out a proper investigation. He has since left the Police. Senator Omo-Agege trusts them to thoroughly investigate this very serious matter.”

Omo-Agege also reacted to the statement by the Senate Spokesperson, Senator Abdullahi Sabi accusing him of leading the hoodlums to cart away the mace.

“Without any investigation, Senator Sabi willfully, deliberately and unfairly made very serious allegations against Senator Omo-Agege on the Mace incident.

“We are carefully studying Senator Sabi’s allegations to ascertain their full ramifications. Appropriate responses will follow, as may be necessary,” he said.

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APC Lawmaker, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege Suspended By The Senate

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APC Lawmaker, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege Suspended By The Senate

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege representing Delta Central Senatorial district was during Thursday plenary suspended for 90 legislative days on Thursday.

The Senate Committee on Public Petitions, Ethics and Privileges which investigated him over comment on the reordering of electoral timetable recommended his suspension.

The report which was submitted by the Committee Chairman, Senator Samuel Anyanwu explained that the erring lawmaker declined to speak to the committee when he appeared.

According to the report, the erring lawmaker told the Committee that he has taken the matter to court already.

Senate leader, Ahmed Lawan in his personal opinion pleaded that he should not be suspended.

However, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki could not be dissuaded by the appeal from Senator Ahmed Lawan and Senator Kabir Marafa.

Saraki insisted that political leaders must be disciplined to serve as deterrent to others.

He, however, reduced the suspension from 180 legislative days to 90.

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