PDP Uncovers ‘Fresh Plot’ To Secure Injunction For Saraki, Ekwermadu’s Ousting

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Friday, said it has uncovered a fresh plot allegedly by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to depose the Senate leadership using “fraudulent injunction”.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the PDP had Thursday alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari’s 10 working-day vacation to London was arranged to absolve the president of involvement in the ongoing plot to fraudulently sack Dr Bukola Saraki and Dr Ike Ekweremadu as Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.

Although the Presidency yesterday denied any plot by the Buhari government to stage Saraki and Ekweremadu’s impeachment, the opposition party is insisting there is a plot to unseat the current Senate leadership.

“Claims by the failing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that President Muhammadu Buhari had taken a 10-day leave in order to leave the stage for illegal and unconstitutional actions by the administration are both ridiculous and a hollow narrative to garner cheap sympathy,” the Presidency had said in reaction to PDP’s initial claim.

But speaking today through its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party again accused the Buhari-led Federal Government of “shopping for a fraudulent interim court order to declare vacant, the seat of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, following his defection from the APC to the PDP.”

The PDP said it has reliable information on the alleged fresh plot by “some cabals in the Presidency and APC” “to institute a lawsuit to challenge the validity of Saraki’s seat with the sole aim of securing a fraudulent injunction to force him out of office pending the determination of the substantive suit.”

The opposition party’s statement partly reads: “Further intelligence available to us shows that once they are able to secure the injunction from a particular compromised judicial officer, they intend to arraign and detain the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, on trumped up charges and ensure he is not granted bail so as to keep him out of circulation while their men would move in to effect an illegal leadership change in the Senate.

“While we trust that the Chief Justice of Nigeria will protect the sanctity of our judiciary especially at this trying time in our national history, we call on the institution of the judiciary at all levels to immune itself from being used by enemies of our democracy as no house falls leaving its roof standing.

“This desperation by despotic forces to forcefully and illegally take control of the Senate, the highest symbol of our Democratic Order, is nothing short of “civilianised coup” which must be resisted by all.

“The judiciary must therefore ensure that it is not intimidated or ensnared to be party to a desperate bid to destabilize our nation.

“The PDP holds that this newest devilish plot to destabilise our democracy lays credence to our earlier stand that President Buhari’s supposed London vacation is a ploy to absolve himself of responsibility for the political terror they have plotted to unleash on the opposition, especially the National Assembly.

“Although they denied it as usual, Nigerians can bear witness to the fact that there is nothing the APC government denied that they did not eventually execute.

“Indeed, there has never been any impunity they executed that they did not deny.

“The recent rascally attempt to hold Saraki and Ekweremadu hostage in their homes on 24th July 2018 as well as the terrorisation of the Benue State House of Assembly after Governor Samuel Ortom’s defection bear sad testimony to this fact.

“We, therefore, call on Nigerians and the international community to be on the alert as the conspirators plan to commence the execution of this evil plot from Tuesday next week.

“Finally, the PDP cautions the APC and others in this evil ring to note that they are now running on a collision course with Nigerians as the citizens will definitely not fold their hands and watch them destroy our hard earned democracy and foist a fascism on our dear nation.”