Facts have emerged concerning
the despicable role the Clerk of the National
Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, played in
the emergence of Senator Bukola Saraki as
president of the Senate on Tuesday.
Eminent Nigerians, one of them Law
professor Itse Sagay, blamed Maikasuwa for
the fraudulent emergence of Saraki as
Senate President.

Maikasuwa, who became Clerk of the National
Assembly on 16 August, 2010, was aware of
the meeting All Progressives Congress, APC,
Senators were going to have with President
Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday morning but
went ahead with the inauguration of the 8th
Senate.

Reports said he was informed on phone
about the meeting and advised to delay the
inauguration to enable the APC senators
attend it but he ignored the request and
pandered to the wishes of the conspirators
of what has been dubbed a coup by the
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, by hastily
allowing the election to go on, even without
the senators forming a quorum.

Maikasuwa, who formally took over from Mr
Oluyemi Ogunyomi on 16 August, 2010, as
Clerk of the National Assembly, clearly
betrayed his loyalty to Senator David Mark,
immediate past Senate President, whom he
worked with for almost six years, going by
his conduct on Tuesday.

The fraud hurriedly perpetrated by
Maikasuwa and other conspirators has been
roundly condemned by eminent Nigerians.
One of those who condmened the entire
process that led to the emergence of Saraki
as Senate President is Sagay who believes
the election of Saraki and his deputy Ike
Ekweremadu by some senators smacks of
legislative impunity.

The Senior Advocate said in an interview on
Television Continental (TVC) on Wednesday
that the emergence of Saraki and
Ekweremadu cannot pass for a victory for
democracy but a victory for impunity,
fraud, desperation and indiscipline.
According to Sagay, “If you look at the
moral point of view, that purported election
was fraudulent. When you purport to hold
an election deliberately in the absence of
your opponent, knowing that he is absent,
and intending to win at any cost unopposed
by ensuring that absence, that constitutes
fraud. Not only that, I think it’s an act of
gross indiscipline, not just against his party,
but against the whole country because we
are all stakeholders in the electoral process,
in who becomes the Senate President and we
all felt cheated because there was no proper
election.

“Again it’s also an act of gross impunity. In
effect, he was saying ‘I know my opponent is
keenly interested in contesting, I know my
opponent is not here yet, and therefore, I
will rush an election in his absence in order
to be certain of victory at any cost.’ It’s
absolutely unacceptable in a decent
democracy.”

He also said the Assembly Clerk, Maikasuwa,
is culpable. “To start with, there is an
aspect of deceit in the whole thing. That’s
why I think it is also illegal and fraudulent.
The APC Senators were told that the
President was going to have a meeting with
them and that they should all gather there
(International Conference Centre). Clearly,
in such circumstances, the last thing they
would think of is that there would be an
election in their absence. So, there was
fraud. Who was responsible? Somebody
summoned that meeting.

“The Clerk of the National Assembly was
fully aware that only PDP senators were
present in the Chambers. A sprinkling of APC
members there were trying to remind him
and he ruled the person out of order. So,
for me, that gives the impression that the
Clerk of the National Assembly was involved
in the conspiracy. That is the impression.
What is more, even if that did not happen, I
will accuse him of involvement because he
knew without being told that only one party
was present and that surely cannot have
been the spirit of the Constitution when it
says that once the proclamation has been
made, members of Senate who have just been
elected would then appoint their officers.
“That’s not what it intended. It didn’t
intend that some people would be diverted
away and one party would then come there
in their absence and fraudulently elect
somebody of their wish in the absence of the
hapless group that has been deceived out of
the Assembly. Who do I blame? I blame the
clerk of the National Assembly, because he’s
the person responsible for all this. He might
have been pressured and all that, but
nothing would have happened if he did not
participate in the conspiracy. So I blame him
primarily.”

Sagay further stated that there was no
quorum for electing principal officers.
“There is the law, and there is the spirit of
the law. If you practice the law, or
implement the law, or enforce the law
without the spirit, it is void. It’s just like a
body which doesn’t have a soul or spirit,
that body is dead. The law says that a
quorum is one-third, and that when you are
taking decisions, unless it is exceptionally
stated, generally when you are taking
decisions, then a simple majority is all that
is required.

“Those are the dry letters of the law. In
this particular issue, we have a new Senate
being proclaimed. We have a Senate which
has many parties. What has happened is that
the party that has the majority was
somehow deceived out of the premises and
other people went behind and surreptitiously
and fraudulently purported to have Senate
proceedings going on. That fraud cannot be
legitimate regardless of the technical words
of the Constitution, because the spirit is not
there.”

He said “Senator Saraki cannot enjoy any
legitimacy because he is there by fraud; he is
there by impunity; he is there by the
grossest act of indiscipline of the worst
type of political culture. So, he lacks
legitimacy. He may be sitting there now but
nobody has any respect for that seat as
long as he sits there because he has brought
shame on the whole country. Now, as far as
I am concerned, this people have a right to
go to court, because a fraudulent election
cannot constitute a legitimate basis for
establishing Senate leadership. It was a
fraudulent election.

“What really happened yesterday (Tuesday),
in my view, is not a victory for democracy,
but a victory for impunity, a victory for
fraud and a victory for political desperation
and indiscipline, and it must not stand. If we
in this country are to go with the new
change brought by the fresh breath of air
that is blowing across the country, if we are
to sustain it, then what happened yesterday
(Tuesday) must be swept away because it is
contrary to the fibre of the whole Nigeria.
“My opposition to his sitting illegitimately in
that office is not because of his (Saraki’s)
“baggage”; he may not be my first choice.
But if he had won legitimately, in a fair,
square and equitable way, I would have no
objection. Yes, he has a huge baggage.

Presently as far as I know, he’s under
investigation and possibly a lot of inquiry by
the EFCC. The matter has not been cleared.
“Normally, it would be better for the first
arm of government – that is what the
legislature is, and he is the third most senior
political personality in the country – for
that person to have a clear table; not to
have any baggage hanging around his neck,
because if you have a heavy baggage like
that hanging on your neck, and you’re
presiding over such an important
establishment, then that establishment is
also going to carry that heavy weight of a
burden along with you, and it will necessarily
affect the respect and intergrity which his
decisions will have and the whole process of
operation of that institution will be impeded
by that heavy load.”


http://www.newspunch.org/buhari-is-a-betrayer-angry-tinubu-blasts/

And ur point is? PDP arm twisted the so called progressives with cow dung for brain and you dare open a useless thread to spite PDP and the cleark of the house and to praise APC for their foolishness and stupidity.
If you know that APC are foo.ls for playing into the hand of PDP click like.
If you know that are learners when it comes to armtwisting in politics click share.

Every NOTABLE Attorney in this country has condemned the procedure for Saraki's emergence as the SP! Femi Falana, Robert Clark and now Prof Itsejuwa Sagay...
It's just like blacklisting PDPs insignia on the ballot paper this 2015; what kind of election would that be seen As??
No one is making reference to Dogara's case cos it was civil and ALL the members duly elected their speaker...ANYWAY, welcome to Nigeria were we celebrate impunity and corruption in place of due process..

Saraki has become the senate already. Any other complaints after that is unnecessary. Work goes on.

What is wrong with some people biko? How can u fix a meeting same time with Senate inaguration? So PDP and other parties Senators elect should have waited for APC to to fool themselves around and return to the chambers any time they like? I weep for Naija

LouisVanGaal:
Every NOTABLE Attorney in this country has condemned the procedure for Saraki's emergence as the SP! Femi Falana, Robert Clark and now Prof Itsejuwa Sagay...
It's just like blacklisting PDPs insignia on the ballot paper this 2015; what kind of election would that be seen As??
No one is making reference to Dogara's case cos it was civil and ALL the members duly elected their speaker...ANYWAY, welcome to Nigeria were we celebrate impunity and corruption in place of due process..

Sagay and those u mentioned can go to hell. Sariki election is legal. Read the opinion of the NBA chairman on the issue

Fight for power and money. They should save me the story about how its fraud against the nation. Even if the ellection was done the so called normal way, I dont think they will have the interests of Nigerians at heart when contesting and ellecting themselves.

But o, did they not fix a date and time for the said ellection? Was it a sudden one?

This so called SAN is talking thrash, he said quorum was not formed and that's a fat lie, in National assemble a quorum is 37 pdp alone have 49 senators plus 8 apc senators that's supporting Saraki that will give u 58senators plus Saraki himself that's 59. And again this where Nigeria fails, how can a notable San expect d Clark to delay house election just bcus he received a call! Call from who? if I may ask. Who is that God that can put the entire nation on hold with a mere phone call? Shouldn't national interest come first b4 another thing? Is Apc meeting big than d house inauguration? The Apc senators if they have little sense they should know that the so called apc meeting is not their constitutional obligation. Our elected officers should learn how to put national interest above party interest! ....pls SAN I think u should go and revisit ur law101 notebook(no insult) the election of Saraki followed all d constitutional process if u think otherwise take him to court and pls rest ur case already

Opiosko:
Sagay and those u mentioned can go to hell. Sariki election is legal. Read the opinion of the NBA chairman on the issue

The NBA chairman can equally go to hell...provide another CONCRETE evidence from Another luminary to support your claims! Persons that have been in the profession for over 40years and counting (minus falana) has spoken on the issue decisively; you are here talking of an NBA chairman that is just a student of law to the afforementioned names..

Bukola is Senate President....

APC should learn to take responsibility where they have failed and not put the blame on the Clerk of the House. If they have done their home work properly, it would not have come to all of these. The bible aptly puts it this way "Woe to him that trust in the arm of flesh".

LouisVanGaal:
The NBA chairman can equally go to hell...provide another CONCRETE evidence from Another luminary to support your claims! Persons that have been in the profession for over 40years and counting (minus falana) has spoken on the issue decisively; you are here talking of an NBA chairman that is just a student of law to the afforementioned names..

Long yrs in the bar does not confer one with exclusive knowledge. The NBA chairman has suddenly become a student of law cos of your sentiment. Smh! Pls, there is a difference between legality and morality. Btw, APC and ur Lord Lenin(s) should go to the court and stop the endless moaning.

Pdp is a bastion of illegality and immorality. It is a pity that most of its down trodden supporters it gave innjoo phones do not realise that pdp does really care about them, only interested in keeping themselves protected from the winds of change blowing

Please tell this story to IFA or OGUN... Saraki has come to stay...

kazmanbanjoko:
Saraki has become the senate already. Any other complaints after that is unnecessary. Work goes on.

no need to shout or querrel, saraki is not d senate president, saraki is aware of that, except he wil keep on adjorning sitting til d next d next 4yrs, d only way out, is to conduct free and proper election,

Jesusloveyou:
no need to shout or querrel, saraki is not d senate president, saraki is aware of that, except he wil keep on adjorning sitting til d next d next 4yrs, d only way out, is to conduct free and proper election,

laye laye, what want to happen has already happened. No going back. #Saraki for senate

Meanwhile, aides of the Clerk of the National Assembly, CNA, have denied receiving any communication from President Muhammadu Buhari to delay the inauguration of the 8th National Assembly. Sources in the CNA claimed that there was neither official letter, nor SMS message from the Presidency directing the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, to delay the inauguration. The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to make any official statement on the matter said: “There was no official communication through memo from the Presidency, not even text messages or phone calls. “Anybody that has any form of evidence like that, I challenge the person to make it public. Even if there was anything like that, it was not enough to stop the proclamation because it is a constitutional ritual that happens every four years. “The proclamation letter from the President directed that the inauguration should take place by 10 am. Having done the proclamation, you cannot create a distance in time.” The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu was quoted as saying that a message was sent to the CNA to inform him of the President’s meeting with the APC National Assembly members and the need to delay the inauguration. Yesterday, one of the supporters of Senator Lawan, Senator Kabiru Marafa from Zamfara state wondered why the CNA should proceed with the inauguration of the 8th Senate with only 57 Senators that were present as at the time the election of the Senate President was conducted. “Why was he in a hurry when he knew that only 57 Senators were in the chamber for the legislative exercise, what would he have lost if he had delayed it in obedience to the presidential directive. - See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/06/nass-saraki-lawans-men-close-ranks/#sthash.KXoxVavY.dpuf

KINGSNEEZE:
This so called SAN is talking thrash, he said quorum was not formed and that's a fat lie, in National assemble a quorum is 37 pdp alone have 49 senators plus 8 apc senators that's supporting Saraki that will give u 58senators plus Saraki himself that's 59. And again this where Nigeria fails, how can a notable San expect d Clark to delay house election just bcus he received a call! Call from who? if I may ask. Who is that God that can put the entire nation on hold with a mere phone call? Shouldn't national interest come first b4 another thing? Is Apc meeting big than d house inauguration? The Apc senators if they have little sense they should know that the so called apc meeting is not their constitutional obligation. Our elected officers should learn how to put national interest above party interest! ....pls SAN I think u should go and revisit ur law101 notebook(no insult) the election of Saraki followed all d constitutional process if u think otherwise take him to court and pls rest ur case already

i just dey laugh, in a football match can u play against d absent of ur opponent, that wil be 100-0 na, in other view, would have buhari be declare unoppose in d absent of gej? the simple question to all saTANist in this country which u all fail to answer, is it 50% of members that elect david mark,tambuwal and dogara?

Have u heard of the term"walk over in football?"in as much as I wouldn't want to to start teaching the difference between a football match and democracy. In that last general election, if by any chance pdp fails to present a candidate is the election not going to still hold? Did all the registered political parties nigeria present a presidential candidate? Ur answer to dis my questions will determine if I will keep dignifying u with responce have a nice day mister

Jesusloveyou:
i just dey laugh, in a football match can u play against d absent of ur opponent, that wil be 100-0 na, in other view, would have buhari be declare unoppose in d absent of gej? the simple question to all saTANist in this country which u all fail to answer, is it 50% of members that elect david mark,tambuwal and dogara?

KINGSNEEZE:
Have u heard of the term"walk over in football?"in as much as I wouldn't want to to start teaching the difference between a football match and democracy. In that last general election, if by any chance pdp fails to present a candidate is the election not going to still hold? Did all the registered political parties nigeria present a presidential candidate? Ur answer to dis my questions will determine if I will keep dignifying u with responce have a nice day mister

before i reply on d 'rules of the game' u all fail to answer this simple question, is it 50% of d elected members of d house that elect all d past senate president and speaker?

No is not 50% and the constitution never said that all d senators must be in d house b4 a president of d senate can be elect the constitution simply said that a quorum must be formed and that's 2\3 and 2quarter of 108 is 37. Now the other constitutional requirement is a presidential proclamation which Buhari gave them even b4 he travelled to Germany so Bros they satisfied the constitutional requirements I now don't know what d fuss is for# I hope I answered ur questions? Now u can go back and answer mine , hope u are enjoying ur day

Jesusloveyou:
before i reply on d 'rules of the game' u all fail to answer this simple question, is it 50% of d elected members of d house that elect all d past senate president and speaker?

KINGSNEEZE:
No is not 50% and the constitution never said that all d senators must be in d house b4 a president of d senate can be elect the constitution simply said that a quorum must be formed and that's 2\3 and 2quarter of 108 is 37. Now the other constitutional requirement is a presidential proclamation which Buhari gave them even b4 he travelled to Germany so Bros they satisfied the constitutional requirements I now don't know what d fuss is for# I hope I answered ur questions? Now u can go back and answer mine , hope u are enjoying ur day

that means we have 57 senators, because 57 members were inaugurated on d first day, recognise and elected their leader, now to ur question, the rules of the game, is that the senate standing rules is not applicable on the first day, it is assume all senate-elect are present on the first day and they should all have right to vote and be voted for. U cannot disenfrachise any constituencies, the illegality and impunity after everyone because my representative were disenfrachise to elect my senate president.

Now was d time, date and venue of this inauguration communicated to all members? Young man what ur senator(s) did is called negligence of duty they abandoned their legislative duty to attend to that of their party, did d party interest bigger that of the nation? Come on stop been sentimental

Jesusloveyou post=34694 575:
that means we have 57 senators, becuse 57 members were inaugurated on d first day, recognise and elected their leader, now to ur question, the rules of the game, is that the senate standing rules is not applicable on the first day, it is assume all senate-elect are present on the first day and they should all have right to vote and be voted for. U cannot disenfrachise any constituencies, the illegality and impunity after everyone because my representative were disenfrachise to elect my senate president.

CORRECT

Opiosko:
What is wrong with some people biko? How can u fix a meeting same time with Senate inaguration? So PDP and other parties Senators elect should have waited for APC to to fool themselves around and return to the chambers any time they like? I weep for Naija