Impeachment’s call: 49 senators back Saraki

Forty-nine senators have written Senate President Bukola Saraki expressing their support to his leadership as the Number 3 citizen.

The 49 senators who are members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had last week signed a document passing a vote of confidence on the Senate President.

Their last week’s action came immediately after the siege laid on the National Assembly by men of the Department of State Security (DSS).

As a follow up to their action, the 49 senators wrote a letter to Saraki, assuring him that no impeachment against him would succeed since the remaining senators, 60, do not form the two-thirds constitutional requirement to remove him.

Saraki’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity Yusuph Olaniyonu confirmed the development to Daily Trust on telephone yesterday, but could not give details of the letter.

Our correspondent reports that there are currently 54 APC senators, and 49 PDP senators. There are other two; one each from the All Progressives Grand Alliance ( APGA) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

There are two vacant seats from Katsina and Bauchi states, which had been won by APC candidates in the Saturday’s byelections conducted in the two states, but the winners are yet to be sworn in in due course.

It would also be recalled that one APC senator from Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, was recently sentenced to prison. Although he was said to have appealed the judgment, he has been out of the Senate ever since.