The opposition Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, has alleged that the
governing All Progressives Congress,
APC-led federal government plans to
arrest the Deputy Senate President,
Ike Ekweremadu.
The PDP spokesperson, Olisa Metuh,
who addressed a press conference
on Sunday in Abuja, said to achieve
the aim, the Inspector General of
Police, Solomon Arase, has invited
Mr. Ekweremadu to report at the
Force Headquarters in Abuja on
Monday after which he would be
detained.
Mr. Metuh said the APC leadership is
not happy with the emergence of Mr.
Ekweremadu, a PDP member, as the
Deputy Senate President and that
after several attempts to make him
resign, has now resorted to
underhand tactics.
He said since President Muhammadu
Buhari’s statement that Mr.
Ekweremadu’s election was
‘unacceptable’ to his party, the
Deputy Senate President, who can
only be removed by the Senate, has
come under threats and intense
pressure from APC leaders to resign
and allow a senator from the ruling
party to take his position.
“We are aware that some APC
senators opposed to the emerge of
Senators Bukola Saraki and Ike
Ekweremadu as Senate President and
Deputy Senate President respectively
met last week and concocted a
petition accusing the Deputy Senate
President of altering the Senate Rules
on the process of election of the
Presiding Officers, upon which the
police via a letter dated July 1, 2015
and signed by the Deputy Inspector
General in charge of criminal
investigation at the Force
Headquarters has invited him to
appear tomorrow, Monday, July 6,
2015 where he will be detained and
put under pressure,” he said .
Mr. Metuh said apart from the fact
that the Nigerian Constitution clearly
guarantees the two chambers of the
National Assembly the powers to
regulate their proceedings without
external interferences, the alleged
petition by the APC senators who he
said enjoy the sympathy of some APC
leaders, lacks merit.
He said Mr. Ekweremadu or any other
senator-elect prior to the
inauguration of the Senate and the
election of presiding officers, could
not have been involved in the
process of producing the 2015
Standing Rules of the Senate, which
was strictly done by the bureaucracy
under the Clerk to the National
Assembly.
“Senator Ekweremadu was not in any
way involved in the process other
than being nominated for the position
of the Deputy Senate President and
could not have been privy to the
secret ballot procedure adopted by
the National Assembly bureaucracy,
which has been widely adjudged as
transparent and credible,” he said.
Mr. Metuh added that apart from the
plans to use security apparatus
against the Deputy Senate President,
the PDP has information that there
are instructions to certain officials at
the Independent National Electoral
Commission, INEC “to alter some
electoral documents and records in
order to create the impression that
Senator Ekweremadu did not file
proper documents for the general
elections to eventually pave way for
his removal
“In line with the above plot, the APC
has been having secret meetings
with some judges and lawyers to
procure injunctions to prevent
Senator Ekweremadu from playing his
role as the Deputy Senate President.
“We are also aware that part of the
plot is a conspiracy to tarnish
Senator Ekweremadu’s image and
open him to public ridicule.
“Last Monday, some APC leaders met
in Abuja to perfect a plot to blackmail
the Deputy Senate President by
planting outlandish publications
against him in the media,” Mr. Metuh
said.
The PDP spokesperson said the
Nigerian government and APC leaders
should be held responsible should
any harm come upon the Deputy
Senate President or any of its
leaders.
He said the notice became necessary
because the PDP has information
indicating that there are also plans to
compromise security around the
Deputy Senate President to make him
vulnerable and open for sponsored
violent attacks.
“We do hope that the era of political
assassination is not about to return
to Nigeria and that our nation will not
descent into a draconian regime
where a strike force is created to
hunt key opposition figures
“We call on our citizens to note that
the PDP will not consider it a mere
coincidence if our key leaders
suddenly become victims of terror
attacks or are suddenly killed by
armed robbers,” he said.
Mr. Metuh added that PDP is aware
that the APC has gone to the
“ridiculous extent of trailing key PDP
leaders and bugging their telephone
lines”.
This, he said, is in addition to hiring
some disgruntled PDP members, to
use the guise of an ethnic solidarity
to create some disturbances,
distractions and disruption of the
smooth operations of the PDP.
“The APC is indeed in the process of
elevating violence, ethnic and
sectional interests once more in our
democracy and we call on patriotic
Nigerians across the country to resist
this dangerous design
“We are aware that President Buhari,
who had earlier restated his
willingness to work with anybody
elected by the legislature, has been
put under intense pressure resulting
in his statement on the emergence of
Senator Ike Ekweremadu, which is
now being misconstrued by some of
his overzealous party members and
security officials.
“We therefore urge the President to
bear in mind that the onus therefore
lies on him to moderate the political
temperature of the country by calling
his overbearing party members and
security officials to order,” he said.

Source: http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/186120-apc-government-plans-to-arrest-ekweremadu-pdp.html

Talk true

Why not if he is a criminal and deserved it?

Wetin him sef do?

[size=50pt]Wetin him sef do?[/size]

If he truely forge the document, let them arrest him.

This is why our country cannot move forward. The senate has not learned anything in 16years, despite all the overseas trips to beta nations. They continue to be a disgrace and show that Africans have trouble governing themselves.

This is why Regions should emerge as government prior to 1967 did far better with less than these divide and rule 36 states.

these APC touts should focus on the main problem of Naija and stop chasing shadow

Buhari should trend softly or else......he has said earlier that his ready to work with anybody that emerge as the speaker or deputy...I see this as intimidation nd frustration frm the ruling part.Nigeria practice multi-party system nt one party system.

Imortal001:
If he truely forge the document, let them arrest him.

even Buhari was not arrested on his lingering certificate saga

Govt. must clamp down on criminality dazzzzz all.

PDP new found word now is "alleged". Alleged this & alleged that. Make una park well joor

Read somewhere that he was invited by the IG over an "alleged" forgery or something ...


A clear conscience fears no accusations.


Metuh should take a chill pill.

What goes around comes around!Pdp should learn and accept their new position,it comes with a lot of sacrifice and pain though.I guess they will get use to it.

Ekweremadu should learn from Tambuwal,Amechi etc.It's not easy to go against Nigeria President under any guise without repercussions.

Finally sai baba is doin the right thing.....lock up the crook and remove him from power.....

chukingchuks:
even Buhari was not arrested on his lingering certificate saga

Why are u living in the past? Please wake up!

If he's clean, no one can convict him

This is d kind of Government we have now,When Tambuwal defected to Apc as Speaker,PDP and GEJ never arrested him or force him to resign. Apc and their do or die politics,so much for change!

instead of apc to focus on fulfilling just one of there 187 promise to nigerians they are busy chasing pdp senators.am sure Ekwerenmadu will definately come iut strong same as buruji

Imortal001:

Why are u living in the past? Please wake up!

how does Buhari not have a certificate becomes a "living in the past"

me and you know that all those APC members are touts.
you are just on denial

I was expecting this,there must be sanity in the upper chamber

Cry cry metuh. We didn't expect you to say the truth about ekweremadu's forgery of the constitution. A thief will always defend a thief.

If Ekweremadu is found guilty of the crimes for which he was accused, he will be adequately punished. The Era of impunity is over!

[quote][/quote
“We do hope that the era of political
assassination is not about to return
to Nigeria and that our nation will not
descent into a draconian regime
where a strike force is created to
hunt key opposition figures.___Olisa Metuh.

All these era who was incharge?
Who created strike force? Olisa thank you for the revelation. Am happy this is coming from pdp town-cryer.

We are watching

The arrest should be done immediately. I wonder how a member of the minority will be the Senate VP. I just don't understand.

merry02:
Buhari should trend softly or else......he has said earlier that his ready to work with anybody that emerge as the speaker or deputy...I see this as intimidation nd frustration frm the ruling part.Nigeria practice multi-party system nt one party system.

...you're misapplying and misrepresenting Buhari's words.

if any harm happened to our brother, we igbos, will not take it lightly with Buhari and his APC people

Omotolu:
...you're misapplying and misrepresenting Buhari's words.

what is there that am not getting?he had recently said that he did not support the election that brought in the deputy speaker .is that not hypocrisy?his speech is a sharp contradiction

merry02:
what is there that am not getting?he had recently said that he did not support the election that brought in the deputy speaker .is that not hypocrisy?his speech is a sharp contradiction

...the crisis started with the so called Senate President and its VP. The rest of the election outcome are product of illegal,unfair VP election.