There was comotion at the floor of the Senate on Wednesday as opposition senators across party lines walked out of plenary, chanting Buhari must go and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan should follow against the worsening security situation in the country.
Trouble started when Philip Tanimu Aduda, Senate Minority Leader, raised a point of order for the Senate to deliberate on issues raised at the closed door session which lasted for two hours.
Ahmed Lawan, the Senate President, had after the closed door session, announced that issues relating to smooth running of Senate and unity in Nigeria were deliberated upon but instructed the leader of the Senate to proceed with items listed on the order paper for the day.
“Mr President , I raised this point of order to bring to the front burner, issues deliberated upon at the closed door session.
“Resolution made by all Senators at the closed door session which lasted for two hours , was to further deliberate on it in plenary and arrive at resolution to give President Muhammadu Buhari ultimatum to stop the worsening security situation or face impeachment” he said.
But the President of the Senate quickly interrupted him by saying that his point of order falls flat on his face since he didn’t discuss it with him.
He thereafter, instructed the leader of the Senate to proceed with items on the order paper.
Angered by the development, all Senators across the opposition parties led by the Minority Leader, Philip Tanimu Aduda stormed out of the chamber chanting “All we are saying, Buhari must go, Nigeria must survive, Ahmad Lawan should follow ….”
The protesting Senators including Adamu Bulkachuwa (APC Bauchi North), later gathered at the Senate Press Centre to disclose what transpired at the closed door session.
Speaking on behalf of the Senators, Philip Tanimu Aduda said their anger was fueled by the refusal of the Senate President to follow resolutions taken by senators across party lines at the closed door session.
“We are here to tell Nigerians that as Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria , we are disappointed with the way the worsening security situation across the country is being handled .
“We held closed door session for two hours , where it was resolved that the issue will be deliberated upon in plenary with agreed resolution to give President Muhamnadu Buhari six weeks to address it or face impeachment by both Chambers of the National Assembly .
“Our walking out of the Chamber is to express our disappointment in the way the matter was later handled by the Senate President .
“President Buhari has been given all he wanted in terms of adequate funding of the Security agencies but nothing to show for it. He needs to shape up or ship out ” Aduda said.
However the Senate President in his closing remarks before the adjournment of the Senate said, all Senators are worried and concerned about the security situation in the country .
He said an emergency session may be held during the long recess if the need arises .
All the PDP Senators who participated in the walk out Enyinnaya Abaribe (APGA Abia South), Ibrahim Shekarau (NNPP Kano Central), Francis Onyewuchi (Imo East).
The Senate later adjourned plenary for its annual recess to reconvene on September 20th, 2022.
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