All Progressives Congress (APC) Elders’ Forum in Benue State has described the recent motion by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Aba Moro, urging the National Assembly to intervene in the affairs of the state House of Assembly as an attempt to destabilise a performing administration in his home state.
The spokesman of the forum, Senator Barnabas Gemade, described the motion as not only misguiding but also a demonstration of his lack of understanding of the constitutional process.
He said, “The constitutional provisions of (Section 11(4)) which mandates the National Assembly to take over the functions of the state assembly can only be activated when the state assembly is unable to perform its functions for reasons of a situation prevailing in the state.
“This very next section explicitly defines the inability of the House to perform its functions as when it is unable to hold a meeting and transact its businesses. Benue State House of Assembly has one leadership, enjoys full quorum at all sittings and has continuously been performing its functions.
“There is therefore no merit in Senator Aba Moro’s invitation to meddlesomeness. We wonder why Sen. Moro who, as a leader in the PDP has turned a blind eye to the monumental crises affecting the River State House of Assembly where the PDP-controlled state government has chosen to recognise and deal with a three-member faction of the House of Assembly.
“As elders in his state, we urge Senator Moro to focus on providing quality representation to his constituents rather than his desperate attempt to destabilise a performing APC administration in his home state.
“We want to urge the opposition to engage in constructive criticisms rather than seeking to undermine our progress. The APC Benue Elders’ Forum remains committed to supporting our state government and ensuring that Benue continues on its trajectory of development which had eluded the state in its recent past.
“Finally, we call on all stakeholders in Benue State to prioritise unity and cooperation, rather than divide and rule.”
