Social cleavages are fault lines in a political community. They can be moderated or intensified in various ways. Social cleavages tend to intensify when they continuously fan the flame of political passion, mistrust and hatred. Modern legislature originates from the advisory councils set up to give advice to rulers in ancient times. Bicameral legislative system presupposes that, legislators in the upper and lower chambers will posses different legislative credentials. Therefore, our senators are expected to be more mature in legislative matters than their colleagues in the House of Representative.

Rightly so, we can’t be arguing without presenting facts on topical national issues. Our senators had been speaking fears rather than facts in the forgery of the senate standing order 2015. Suggesting that, we have a sentiment driven senate not an issue oriented one. They have been blinded by emotions and sentiment to evoking the doctrine of impunity for the senate leadership. The abuse of legislative functions on this issue is rather post factum. Why did the senate not conduct a senate investigation on the forgery; when the matter was raised during plenary? The accessory before the fact therein will not allow that happen. An issue that prevented more than half of the senators from voting for their leadership should be fundamental in the nation space.

So, if the senate was not forehanded in the forgery of its standing order 2015. Why should the executive arm, be the scapegoat? The senators should feel rather inadequate in themselves. The senators are proving to us that they are political mavericks. The noise from the senate on the “senate gate” is nothing but a shaggy-dog-story. Our senators are willfully making wrong inferences on the senate forgery scandal. The public can not be deceived on this issue. The culture of impunity should be a thing of the past. If the locus delicti is the senate chambers; the senators should collectively make a mea culpa apology for the forgery of the senate standing order 2015. But, if it is not, a collective defence of the senate is unnecessary.

Well, everybody is intellectual by nature not everybody is intellectual by social function. Our senators are lacking critical thinking on the senate scandal. They seem to be suffering from octopus complex. They are striving to perform both legislative and judicial functions. The legislators are mandated to make laws. The executive is to enforce the law while the judiciary is to interpret the law. This is the working of the doctrine of separation of power. The senators are attempting to fuse judicial functions with their legislative function. Why are the senators afraid of the court? And attempting to turn their chambers into a trial court for the attorney general of the federation?

Unfortunately, the debate on the motion titled “Imminent threat to our democracy alleged invitation of our principal officers by the court” moved by Senator Dino Melaye and seconded by Senator Bassey Albert is an abuse of legislative process. The mentality of our senators had degenerated to self service. Also, there was abuse of parliamentary privileges. The attorney general of the Federation is the Chief Law Officer of the Nation. He is an accomplished professional and so cannot be a deviant for rendering legal advice on a criminal matter. He had not misconducted himself by doing so. The forgery of a senate standing order is a crime against the state. The senate standing order 2015 is a public document, not a private document of Bukola Saraki and others.

Therefore, it is very ridiculous for the senate to make any insinuation, suggesting the fact that; the court invitation of the senate president and his deputy is a smokescreen for an impending attempt to over throw the legislative arm. Only a sick senate will engage in this line of thinking. The public is dominus litis in the senate forgery case. The senators should address the public with answers to these under listed questions:

Did Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi from Kaduna State report the forgery of the senate standing order 2015 to the police?
Who authorized the promulgation of the senate standing order 2015?
Who published the senate standing order 2015?
Who approved the senate standing order 2015?
Who paid for the publishing of the senate standing order 2015?
Who distributed the senate standing order 2015?

Black’s Law dictionary with pronunciations, sixth edition, centennial edition (1891-1991) at page 650: define forgery as the making or material altering of a document with intent to defraud. The phrase “with intent to defraud” should be very instinctive. What was the intendment for the forgery of the senate standing order 2015? It is to become senate president and deputy senate president by fraudulent means. This is beyond politicking. Our senators are becoming rather decorative. Silence would have been more golden that the misguided posturing exhibited by our senators. The senate is a public institution. Therefore, criminality perpetrated therein cannot be an internal affair. Venal escapism by appealing to public sentiment will not solve the matter. The accused should use the instrumentality of the law to establish their innocence.

In conclusion, our senators must not suffer from historical amnesia. Democracy cannot be threatened because some alleged persons are asked to have their day in court for criminality. In year 2013, when CSP Nnana Amah acting on orders from above stopped G-7 governors from holding meeting at the Abuja, Kano State Governor’s lodge, democracy was not threatened. When Chris Ngige as governor of Anambra, State was kidnapped in his government House by the Police acting on orders from above, democracy was not threatened. When Adam Oshimole as Governor of Edo State and Rotimi Amaechi as governor of Rivers States were prevented from entering Ekiti State by soldiers, democracy was not threatened. When the National Assembly was invaded by the police and Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as speaker, House of the Representative and other legislators were tear gassed, democracy was not threatened. So, why is democracy now threatened?

Thank goodness, that the senate felt disturbed with the myriads of problems confronting the nation. What legislation have they put in place with the intention to solving these problems? They have been focused on amending the code of conduct Bureau Act, code of conduct tribunal Act and the Administration of criminal justice Act of 2015, because the senate president is facing trial at the code of conduct tribunal. It is not enough to tell the executive arm to address itself to: the escalating cost of living, upsurge in violent extremism, worsening insecurity, skyrocketing unemployment etc. The senators should tell Nigerians what legislative measures they have initiated to collaborate with the executive in solving these problems. They should tell Nigerians how they have been co-operating with the executive in moving the country forward. They are rather a clog in the wheel of progress.

Force Bray is a Citizen Journalist