The Action Democratic Party (ADP) has joined the rest of well- meaning Nigerians and members of the International Community to denounce the unwarranted siege on the National Assembly by hooded men of the Directorate of the Department of Security Services (DSS) on Tuesday in apparent move to instigate the impeachment of the leadership of the Senate.
A statement issued on Wednesday by the National Chairman of the ADP, Yusuf Sani Yabagi, noted that the party had earlier warned about the peril of any contrivance to subvert the law and due process to effect any change in the leadership of the National Assembly allegedly being plotted by the Presidency and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the gale of defections that hit the APC.
“Nigerians were rightly seized by a mood of sharp revulsion on Tuesday, August 7, by the ghastly aberration perpetrated by the DSS to stop the federal lawmakers from carrying out their constitutional duties, which we believe is orchestrated by anti -democratic elements within the Presidency and the APC, who have not hidden their plot to unseat the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and other federal lawmakers, who recently dumped the ruling party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
” Nigerians have witnessed and have endured this successive acts of vulgar brigandage by security agents. This exorbitant assault on Nigerian democracy signalled its intensity on Tuesday, July 24, when a detachment of police officers barricaded the residences of Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu in a failed attempt to stop them from presiding over the defections that saw about 50 federal lawmakers dumping the APC,” the statement said.
The ADP also lamented that despite the misbegotten but doomed attempt at the National Assembly leaders, the police shifted their theatre of the absurd to Benue state when on July 30, they allegedly led 8 out 30 members of the state house assembly to commence impeachment proceedings against Benue state Governor, Samuel, Ortom, in clear contravention of sections 188 and 189 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, following the Governor’s defection from the APC.
The added that the ADP is however, relieved that the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, promptly sacked the DSS Director, Lawal Daura, on Tuesday in clear demonstration of firmness and good sense, which has at least momentarily doused the tension in the country and saved Nigeria from huge embarrassment before the civilised world.
“The ADP as a party has remained resolute in our quest to maintain a law abiding society. The ADP has the capacity, the initiative, the creativity and discipline to serve as a viable alternative for Nigerians towards the 2019 elections. We wish to inform Nigerians that since they have tried the APC and the main opposition PDP and found them to have failed in successive years, the ADP presents the credible alternative that will bring a new dimension of development politics anchored on good policies and programmes as captured in our manifesto,” the statement said.
Innocent Odoh, Abuja
