ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on Tuesday escaped suspected assassination attempt.
This is even as the ongoing war between the two factions of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Senate Unity Forum and Like Minds Senators on Tuesday took a turn for the worse, as two APC senators engaged in a war of words, and grabbed each other over committees’ distribution.
The assassination attempt, which occurred between the Apo Flyover and Dantata Construction Company’s yard, close to the Old Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Headquarters Junction at about 10 a.m. on Ekweremadu’s way to the National Assembly, was, however, not disclosed to the Senate correspondents until very late in the evening.
“The suspected assassins, who operated in an unmarked, tinted, brand new, white-coloured Mercedez Benz AMG E63, were chauffeured by a man, who looked like a middle-easterner.
“The vehicle, which was positioned by the Apo Bridge, on noticing that the Deputy President of the Senate’s convoy took the right turn to join the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway instead, made a turn, and attempted to ram into the convoy, but was blocked. The driver, however, sped off to the Apo Roundabout, and on sighting the convoy of the Deputy President of the Senate, violently broke into the convoy, and made several frantic attempts to ram into the senator’s official car.
“The vehicle refused to stop when charged at by the security operatives attached to the Deputy President of the Senate, but when pushed to a tight corner, the Benz driver made a U-turn, and partially smashed an oncoming vehicle on the opposite lane of the highway and escaped. The development has already been reported to the security agencies,” Special Adviser on Media to the Deputy Senate President, Uche Anichukwu, wrote in an emailed statement.
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Meanwhile, Senator Kabir Marafa, a supporter of Senator Ahmad Lawan’s cause to become the Senate President, during Tuesday’s plenary session, as the lawmakers considered the 8th Senate Legislative Agenda, stood up to raise a point of order that the committees, which were being charged with responsibility in the agenda, are unconstitutional because they were not approved by the Senate, after composition.
The Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, however, ruled him out of order, noting that the matter had been ruled on and concluded previously when Marafa raised it last week.
Saraki explained that the Votes and Proceedings, which were adopted by the senators, could suffice as approval, and as such, the case was closed.
Thereafter, Marafa stood up, and walked out of the Chamber.
But he was promptly followed and met outside by Senator Ali Wakili, a member of the group that supported the emergence of Saraki as the Senate President, who accused him of disgracing the Senate with his constant “point of order”.
The duo then engaged themselves in a war of words as captured below.
Wakili said, “You have come here to disgrace the Senate again. Is this what you want to do for the next four years?”
Marafa, “I will, I will. Because I am not working for you”.
Wakili, “You cannot sit down there and fight against the Senate”.
Marafa “I am representing Nigeria and representing my people. And let me tell you, even the nonsense thing they are saying about suspension, nobody can suspend a senator”.
Wakili. “You are playing to the gallery. You are playing your script. Who has ever spoken about your suspension?”
Marafa, “Let us talk about issues”.
Wakili, “That is not what your constituency sent you here (to do)”.
Marafa, “Are you one of them?”
Wakili, “We are talking of poverty, education. You are wasting your energy here on useless Point of Order. I am warning you”.
Marafa, “It is not useless. You can’t say that Order is useless”.
Wakili, “I will go to your constituency and see what you have done there”.
Marafa, “Go back. I will go to your own. I was in politics before you when you were wearing uniform (both senators start dragging each other’s attire)”.
Marafa then accused Wakili of supporting Saraki to disobey the Rules of the Senate because it favoured him.
”Because they made you Chairman, a bloody newcomer chairman of a committee; that is why you are talking this way. I am not anybody’s game plan. I am speaking the mind of Nigerians,” he said.
Wakili replied: “You are a storm in the Senate teacup and a Gadfly”.
At this, Marafa responded: “I told you I was in politics when you were wearing uniform (dragging Wakili’s attire). You see, your experience has not helped you. It (Senate Rule) says that where such a matter has been decided, you cannot raise it again”.
“That is nonsense! That is hypocrisy. The problem with Senate President (Saraki) is that he was unwilling to learn his job. In the four years he stayed there, he was absent most of the time,” Marafa retorted.
Angered by his response, Wakili said, “You are too personal. And this is not going to help you,” before they disbanded.
Also on Tuesday, the Senate adopted its legislative agenda , making way for the kick-off of committees whose membership are yet to be announced by the Senate President.