Leke Baiyewu, Abuja

The Senate on Thursday criticised the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari for deploying troop in Gambia without seeking legislative approval.

The Nigerian Air Force had moved a contingent of 200 men and air assets, led by Air Commodore Tajudeen Yusuf, to Dakar, Senegal, which is the base of the Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention to force President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia out of power.

The Nigerian troops, which left from the 117 Air Combat Training Group camp in Kainji, Niger State, on Wednesday, joined troops from Senegal, Ghana and other countries in the West African sub-region.

But Senator Chukwuka Utazi, while raising a constitutional point of order, said what the Buhari-led government did was against the law, citing Section 5 (4) of the Constitution.

Section 5(4) states, “(a) the President shall not declare a state of war between the federation and another country except with the sanction of a resolution of both houses of the National Assembly sitting in a joint session; and (b) except with the prior approval of the senate, no member of the armed forces of the federation shall be deployed on combat duty outside Nigeria.”

Utazi added, “I am saying this because of the happenings in our friendly country in Gambia. The ECOWAS countries have been discussing on this issue; on how to ensure that democratic crisis of the people of Gambia are protected. But to ask that this country will go on a warfare in another country without a recourse to this constitutional provisions is an affront of the 1999 Constitution and it is a breach of the Constitution, and we have failed even when the Senate has been cooperating with the executive.

“Let it be on record that if anything of this nature happens in this country; that this national assembly have to be informed properly in writing.”

President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, who presided over the plenary, however cited Subsection 5 of the Constitution to counter Utazi.

Details shortly...

Cc: lalasticlala, Mynd44

http://punchng.com/buharis-military-action-gambia-without-approval-senate/

I'm with Sai Baba anyday anytime.

Alhaji Jammeh must go dole.

Nice one Sai Bukky.

I stand with PMB against Gambian President. That mofo must go down tonight

We don hear. Relevance seekers.

Chukwuka Utazi we knew all your type

You get bad mouth

amnesty7:
We don hear. Relevance seekers.

amnesty7:
We don hear. Relevance seekers.

i tell you. The guy should tell me how many bills he has sponsored since the 8th assembly kick-start

They are always against anything that has to do with PMB. God alone will help Sai Baba against enemies within.

stephnie1:
Chukwuka Utazi we knew all your type

OnankpaBa:
I stand with PMB against Gambian President. That mofo must go down tonight

I stand with PMB on this too. Yahya Jammeh must go down. African leaders with their love for power

J

Sorry guys I don't comment on local issues

madridguy:
They are always against anything that has to do with PMB. God alone will help Sai Baba against enemies within.

give them a single day to run this country. they will sell us all

The wailing of senator Chukwuka Utazi is not the position of the Senate. He only raised a point of order that was righty rejected by the senate president.

President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, who presided over the plenary, however cited Subsection 5 of the Constitution to counter Utazi.

But seriously, I don't understand the sudden love between Ibos who are predominantly Christians and Yaya Jammeh, a fanatical Muslim. Why are they suddenly against the removal of a Muslim dictator who has been in power for 22 years? I don't get it

amnesty7:
We don hear. Relevance seekers.

wat d u expect from a bushman d dullard does not understand rule of law.
to think dat he's even sending nigeria's troops to attack gambia, while d con3 itself is on fire with southern kaduna genocide is unbelievable.
wat a tyrant.

drss2:
wat d u expect from a bushman d dullard does not understand rule of law.
to think dat he's even sending nigeria's troops to attack gambia, while d con3 itself is on fire with southern kaduna genocide is unbelievable.
wat a tyrant.

see them.

in other news. you are in support of Yahaya Jammeh

madridguy:
They are always against anything that has to do with PMB. God alone will help Sai Baba against enemies within.

Ignorance is a disease.

.

stephnie1:


give them a single day to run this country. they will sell us all

DONSMITH123:


I stand with PMB on this too. Yahya Jammeh must go down. African leaders with their love for power

he will go down tonight. Buratai boys will teach him lesson

As in? Sai Baba is on fire, no time for girimoh kai.

nwabobo:


Ignorance is a disease.

ok

DONSMITH123:


I stand with PMB on this too. Yahya Jammeh must go down. African leaders with their love for power

Ok na, PMB should embark on a quest to remove from power any African leader that has been in power for over 30 years starting with Cameroonian president, when he is yet to win the war against boko ram.

In this situation, I think PMB is just empathizes with Adam burrows because he would have experienced the exact same thing if not for God.

DONSMITH123:


see them.

in other news. you are in support of Yahaya Jammeh

jammeh has every constitutional right to challenge election results just like buari dullard did in 2003, 2007 n 2011. as far as iyam concern, yaya jammeh so far has not broken any law. ecowas should be held responsible for d political crisis in gambia.

Who can term Pharoh?

THOSE IBO GUYS SHA

Na only God go fit help our dictatorial democracy

the speed at which he responded to Gambia's crisis is astounding

how i wished he has responded quickly to the fulani massacre
this is a case of loving your neighbor more than urself

GBAM

amnesty7:
We don hear. Relevance seekers.

There was a country