Attack on Senate: Saraki commends colleagues, House members for defending democracy; APC condemns invasion; FG orders probe

Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has commended the leadership and all members of the Senate for standing up firmly in defence of democracy and the rule of law with their decision to defy those who machinated an attack on the Red Chambers of the National Assembly in which the mace was forcefully taken away.

Saraki, speaking from Washington where he is attending the Spring Meeting of the World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF), also lauded the swift reaction by the leadership and members of the House of Representatives in demonstrating their solidarity with the red chamber and thereby sending a strong signal that enemies of democracy and those who want to undermine the legislature will be resisted by all parliamentarians.

Saraki, in a statement by Yusuph Olaniyonu, his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) said

“I have just been informed that some hoodlums invaded the Senate chambers, forcefully taken away the mace and assaulted some of our Sergeant-at-arms on chamber duties. I am delighted that the Senate stood up to them by disregarding their unreasonable and shameful action and went on with the day’s proceedings as slated in the Order Paper.

“My commendation goes to my deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, other members of the leadership, my colleagues, the leadership and members of the House of Representatives for standing in defence of democracy, parliamentary sanctity and constitutionalism.

“With the way the Senate has defied those seeking to undermine it, we have sent out a strong signal that we are always ready to defend our constitutional mandate and nothing will deter us from this.

“I associate myself with the comments of the Deputy Senate President that we are ready to get to the roots of this assault on democracy and ensure that those who are responsible, no matter how remote, will be brought to justice”, Saraki stated.

In a statement by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), the ruling party condemned the attack on the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

The statement said:

“The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to the invasion of the Nigerian Senate by suspected thugs who disrupted Wednesday’s plenary and made away with the mace.

“The APC hereby condemns this action and views it as an attack on our democracy and a desecration of the hallowed institution of the National Assembly.

“We therefore call on security agencies to take all necessary actions to recover the stolen mace and ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice.”

Reacting to the incident, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that the Federal Government has directed security agencies to immediately unravel the circumstances surrounding the invasion of the National Assembly and subsequent snatching of the Senate’s mace by thugs on Wednesday.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, Mohammed, said the government was shocked at the breach of security and the invasion, assuring that the security around the National Assembly complex would be reinforced to prevent a recurrence.