Senator Abdul Ningi, senator-elect representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District yesterday said he has heard of the alleged plot to arrest one of the contenders for the Senate President office, Sen. Abdulaziz Yari and other senator-elect who support his bid before the inauguration of the senate, Tuesday.
Sen. Ningi, who spoke during a live television interview on Arise TV, Monday, said “Yes, I do (have heard of threats to arrest)”, Sen. Ningi responded to a question about the alleged plot to arrest Sen. Yari and some of his supporters.
“Last night I was going for a programme around 9pm and a friend called to tell me not to go, that some people(senators-elect) opposed to Sen. Akpabio will be arrested and that even Sen. Yari himself. There’s that rumour. The whole nation is so anxious and I see that anxiety as unnecessary. The foot soldiers continue to scare people, continue to manipulate people. Those who fear, those who are afraid. You can’t rule by fear, you can’t rule by manipulation. This country has seen it all. People are watching us. Nigerians are watching us. The international community are watching us.
“I have heard these rumours, (of arrest of Yari or/and his supporters) are growing by the day but I believe nothing like that would happen. I have no doubt in my mind that there is no serious security agency that will be made to do what they did during Tambuwal/Mulikat saga.
And I am sure as a nation, we have experienced that and we have put that incident behind us.”
“The PDP had made similar mistakes. And I thought that after 24 years of our democracy, the APC would have learnt from these mistakes. But here we are, 23 years after, they are repeating the same mistakes…Democracy is all about choice and the National Assembly is an independent arm of Government. But some people want to impose the leadership of the National Assembly. What is it for. What is the agenda? Why are they doing this?
I frown at those who are maneuvering, scaring people. Is this the way to go about it? Why this manner? Unless of course, there’s something under the table that we don’t know.”
“The issue of the senate President, it is the chamber, it is the people that will make the senate President. And I find it very difficult to understand the clamour, the insistence that a particular person must be the senate President and there’s no other option but that person. In a democracy, there must always be options. I have been in the National Assembly for 16 years and I am coming again for the fifth term, I know the intrigues, the maneuvers but I can tell you that force, intimidation, fear, cannot give you what you want in the senate.”
Responding to another question on the debate surrounding the religion of the Senate President, he said: “We have a moslem moslem President and Vice President, heaven did not fall and the same people who are now saying we must have a Christian Senate President told us that it doesn’t matter to have Moslem Moslem President and Vice. We are not fools. They can’t take us for a ride. In the National Assembly when you get in, you must put the nation forward first, religious affiliations is dropped, party affiliations is dropped, regional affiliations is dropped. Under no circumstances will you have a law passed on religious grounds. The National Assembly is not a place you bring religion. We appreciate it, we understand it but over the years, religion has never played a part in the history of our National Assembly. If they think there’s a religious imbalance in our polity, they have the federal government, let them address it from those things they can control and have control of. And not in the National Assembly, they have no control of. Let’s see from their appointments that is within their purview, powers and control, if they would address it. They don’t have such powers to come to the National Assembly and tell us who to elect (based on religion) and they themselves did not do it when there was a need to do it.”
“I don’t see Yari as a northerner or a Moslem but as a Nigerian and an aspirant who’s trying to woo me and get my vote. And the questions I ask myself is will he be able to carry me and my constituents along? Will he be easily manipulated as senate President? Will he be able to grow the National Assembly as an independent arm of government? WIll he be fearful, will he be scared in carrying out his duties? These are some of the parameters I personally will be using to cast my vote for any of the candidates and accept him as my leader,” he said.
