over fresh plot by their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts to stop the
Red Chamber from approving the nomination of former River State Governor, Mr.
Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi, as minister.
The PDP Senators are understood to have returned to the drawing board to
restrategise after Amaechi appeared before the Senate on Thursday for screening.
Amaechi responded to questions from only All Progressives Congress (APC)
senators, following the decision of the PDP Senators to abstain from asking him
questions because, according to the Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, “we
have just received Senator Samuel Anyawu’s report on the petition on corruption
against Amaechi.”
This sparked a war of words between Senate Leader Mohammed Ali Ndume and
Akpabio.
Amaechi’s screening was delayed until Thursday on account of opposition by the
PDP Senators.
Reports from their camp yesterday suggested that they are not prepared to back
down from their opposition to Amaechi who defected from the PDP to the APC in
2014 and went on to play a key role in the defeat of the PDP in the last elections.
They are still bitter that Senate President Bukola Saraki ignored the consideration of
the Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions report on alleged fraud against Amaechi
and called him for screening.
The committee’s report, presented by Chairman of the panel minutes before
Amaechi was ushered into the Senate chamber for screening, is said to have
recommended that Amaechi be advised to go and clear himself since issues in the
petition against him is in court.
It was also gathered that the issue of Amaechi was discussed at a closed door
meeting the Senate held before the screening began.
The opposition Senators accused Saraki of breaching Senate rules by side tracking
the report, and opted for Amaechi’s screening.
A reliable source in the Senate said: “It was the consensus that Amaechi should be
advised to go and clear himself of allegations of fraud, according to the
recommendation of the Ethics Committee.”
He added: “We believe that Amaechi should not have been screened in the first
place.
“That he was screened does not give us a good image especially in the light of the
fight against corruption.
“What impression have they created by screening him? What image have they given
to the Senate? Are they saying that the petition has no merit?
“These are some of the issues.”
The South-South senator said that they met after plenary on Thursday to decide “our
next line when the actual confirmation comes up next week.”
Their decision is to oppose Amaechi’s confirmation next week.
He noted that “Amaechi has only been screed in fragrant abuse of our rules but he
has not been confirmed.
“We will still raise our voice to oppose his confirmation because his screening did
not follow due process. The screening cannot past due diligence test.”
He said that “even if the Senate President does not mention the report whenever
Amaechi’s confirmation comes up, we are going to raise the issue of the report and
the consideration of the report because we have the right to be heard.”
But an APC senator close to the leadership of the Senate dismissed the PDP
Senators’ move to frustrate Amaechi’s confirmation as a non-issue.
The North East lawmaker insisted that “when we get to the bridge we’ll cross it.
“We are not new to all these schemings and attempts to force back the hand of the
clock.
“Do the PDP senators you are talking about have the number to block the
confirmation of any nominee? Even if we go for division of the house, do they have
the number to stop the confirmation of any nominee not just Amaechi?
“Politics remains a game of number and as at today, the APC has the ace in the
Senate. Nobody can take that away from us. PDP senators or the party itself cannot
stop the confirmation of any nominee because they remain the opposition in the
chamber.”
He noted that the Senate could not have stopped the screening of Amaechi based
on “mere allegation.”
The Nation
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