PDP alleges fresh plot to arrest Saraki, Ekweremadu

•Cautions Oshiomhole on move to unseat presiding officers •Lawmakers pass vote of confidence in senate president, deputy

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday alleged that there is a fresh plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and “the cabal in the Buhari Presidency to use compromised security agencies and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to invite, arrest and detain Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.” This comes as the party disclosed that it had unraveled fresh facts confirming that the pressure by the presidency for the reconvening of the Senate was out of a sinister motive and not for any emergency in the approval of the budget of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the 2019 general elections. In statement by its National Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP claimed that “the fresh plot to detain the two presiding officers is part of a renewed design to keep them out of circulation, ahead of Senate resumption, so as to enable APC senators throw up two of their members as Senate President and Deputy Senate President on the excuse that Saraki and Ekweremadu failed to show up for proceedings.

Also, the party has cautioned the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to stop his chase for a change in the leadership of the Senate, saying it was completely out of his reach. Another statement by the PDP scribe advised Oshiomhole that the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President do not belong to political parties but Nigerians who elect persons into the seats through representatives of their choice. The statement said the Senate leadership cannot be changed by the orders of the former Edo governor as a chairman of a political party when the law is explicit on the issue.

Similarly, PDP senators in the green chamber have passed a vote of conference in the senate president and his deputy. They said the endorsement followed last Tuesday’s failed attempt by law enforcement agencies to facilitate their removal. A statement by Saraki’s Special Assistant on Media, Sani Onogu, said the plot by the APC to remove the duo was “dead on arrival” It ruled out any knowledge of an impeachment notice on the Senate President.