N’Assembly Crisis: No Gang up Can Remove Saraki, Ekweremadu, Boasts Senator
Senator Iroegbu The senator representing Edo Central senatorial district in the eighth National Assembly, Senator Clifford Ordia has boasted that no amount of gang up by leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) can overturn the emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and deputy, respectively.
Ordia, who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the remarks in Abuja yesterday, following a statement credited to former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and other aggrieved interest groups that the emergence of the two leaders was faulty.
The lawmaker, who played a key role in the emergence of Saraki and Ekweremadu, submitted that the emergence of the two senate leaders was divine.
He reminded his aggrieved colleagues, especially the leadership of APC that the era of imposition was over and warned those asking for their ouster to either accept their emergence or maintain their peace.
Ordia, who made a name for himself in the private sector as a civil engineer before venturing into politics, vowed that PDP senators will not fold their arms and allow APC losers remove Ekweremadu, who has come under severe attacks from APC leaders.
“We will defend the mandate of Ekweremadu with every drop of energy we have,” he warned.
Ordia said: “I do not know why they are bickering and complaining. Senators Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu got a pan-Nigerian mandate. APC and PDP senators voted for them. Their emergence is divine and we must accept it like that.
“These two senators are cerebral politicians and they understand the workings of the National Assembly. I have no doubt about their ability to deliver and stabilise the Senate. Their emergence is not about APC or PDP. It is about a shift from the past.
“What Saraki
and Ekweremadu need right now is the support of every Nigerian in order to succeed. It is a waste of time, calling for their removal. That will never happen. Instead of wasting precious time, why can’t aggrieved senators just drop their pride and accept their emergence?”
Ordia equally re-echoed the need to give the National Assembly ample freedom to operate without undue interference from party leaders.
According to him, elections are over and the time has come to begin to fulfil campaign promises.
“We have finished the elections. At this time, political parties should allow their elected representatives begin work and deliver on their campaign promises. We have a lot of things to do and the time is short.
“We have the Boko Haram menace, dwindling revenue, high rate of crime, poor state of the economy, unemployment among our teaming graduates and a host of other problems. We must hit the ground running,” the Edo lawmaker added.