You are not fit to be senators" - PDP lawmaker blasts colleagues for opposing election order changes over fear of re-election (Details, pics)

The chairman of southeast Senate caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP, Abia south took a swipe at senators who opposed the changing of the election sequence in the 2019 general elections, saying that they constitute those who cannot win elections except by President Muhammadu Buhari’s support.

Senator Abaribe said those calling for the abandoning of the arrangement which places the election of the president last, came to power on the back of their political parties and influence of President Buhari in the last 2015 general polls, Vanguard reports.

He said: “Anybody who attaches himself to Buhari for re-election is not fit, abinitio, to be a senator. It is high time politicians stopped riding on the back of some political establishments or parties to win elections in Nigeria.”

It was gathered that the National Assembly conference committee had harmonised the different versions of the passed bill from the two chambers now ready for onward submission to the president for assent.

However, 10 All Progressives Congress (APC) senators on Wednesday, February 14, opposed the amendment, which they said was targeted at President Buhari.The lawmakers expressed their agitation by walking out of the chamber to address the press, while the plenary presided by Senate President, Bukola Saraki, was still on.

Led by the chairman of Northern Senators Caucus and former governor of Nasarawa state, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the 10 senators were reportedly annoyed that their argument against the bill was truncated at the plenary by Senate President Saraki and vowed that the amendment would not stand.

The aggrieved APC senators included Binta Garba (Adamawa); Ali Wakili (Bauchi); Kurfi Umaru (Katsina); Andrew Uchendu (Rivers); Abdullahi Danbaba (Sokoto); Ovie Omo- Agege, Delta; Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi); Abu Ibrahim (Katsina); and Benjamin Uwajumogu (Imo).

They stated that the amendment and process of passage were illegal and vowed that it would not stand.