Emergecy extension stalls in Senate amid bribery allegation

This is amidst an allegation of inducement by the presidency to the Senate, Daily Trust learnt.The Senate had yesterday and Tuesday commenced closed-door deliberation over the request from President Jonathan for the fourth consecutive time but majority of the senators have vowed to stop it.Senators met for more than two hours on Tuesday but failed […]

This is amidst an allegation of inducement by the presidency to the Senate, Daily Trust learnt.
The Senate had yesterday and Tuesday commenced closed-door deliberation over the request from President Jonathan for the fourth consecutive time but majority of the senators have vowed to stop it.
Senators met for more than two hours on Tuesday but failed to reach a decision following strong opposition from the legislators who insisted that the president has the powers under Section 218 of the Constitution to deploy troops without proclaiming state of emergency.
Again, senators resumed their closed-door meeting yesterday after which Senate President David Mark said they had “a very robust and detailed discussion and we will continue tomorrow (today).”
The Senate president also disclosed that they have decided to invite the service chiefs to hear from them.
Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe), said they will continue to stop the passage of the emergency rule saying most of them are opposed to it.
Senator Kabiru Marafa (APC, Zamfara) explained that there is a growing suspicion among Nigerians that the federal government seems not to be serious about fighting Boko Haram because it refused to arrest and prosecute those accused of sponsoring the terror group.
“Ali Sheriff and former army chief Azubuike Ikejirika were accused of complicity in Boko Haram by Australian hostage negotiator Steven Davis but the federal government has refused to prosecute them, instead, just days ago Sheriff was led into Maiduguri by 200 troops led by a colonel in the Nigerian Army. What then is the rationale for seeking this extension?” Marafa queried.
Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano) maintained that before they granted the extension, none of the local governments was under the control of Boko Haram but 14 local governments out of 27 in Borno State are now under the sect.
However, Daily Trust gathered from impeccable sources that the presidency had induced some members of the Senate leadership in order to facilitate the passage of the emergency rule.
Sources in the Senate told Daily Trust they have report which indicated that some senators have been bribed on the matter.
“We have just got report that some of our colleagues including the leadership received money in exchange for their support for the passage of the emergency rule,” a senator who asked not to be named said.
“Some principal officers were given as much as $1 million so that they pass the emergency rule but we will resist them,” another senator said.
Reacting to the allegation, Senator Lawan said he was not approached and even if they do, he won’t accept it because he is opposing emergency extension on principle.
Senate spokesman Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia), denied allegations that the presidency is bribing senators and described it as “utter rubbish and that there is no such thing. I think senators are very well aware of the fact that they are here, voted in by their people to make sure that whatever decision they take would be in the interest of Nigeria and has nothing to do with pecuniary benefits.”
It was learnt that senators opposed to the extension had during the closed-door meeting insisted that electronic or physical voting must be conducted over the emergency rule extension as 2/3rd majority cannot be ascertained using voice vote.
Daily Trust also gathered that the Senate president met with all North-east senators yesterday morning before commencement of the plenary session in a “desperate” move to get their support for the extension but all his pleas fell on deaf ears.