Plot to remove Saraki as Senate president thickens

In from Enite Benjamin …
Forces in the Senate, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) opposed to the embattled Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki are moving in to ensure that he is removed from his present position as head of the federal legislative arm.
The forces, it was gathered, have mapped out strategies to be executed which include pricking the conscience of Nigerians by playing a moral card, as well as adopting a political strategy that will exploit the option of co-opting some of Saraki’s supporters in the red chamber, plus the use of external political pressure to achieve their goal.
It was gathered, that members of the Senate Unity Forum, loyal to Senator Ahmed Lawan, who lost out to Saraki in the June 9 election of the Senate leadership had started wooing their colleagues in the Saraki camp, by hinging their argument on the ongoing trial of the Senate President at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
The SUF, it was learnt, may have succeeded in securing the support of at least 12 pro-Saraki senators, mainly from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the hopes of winning over at least 73 senators needed to commence impeachment moves against Saraki when the Senate resumes.
There were also indications that the anti-Saraki forces have concluded plans to embark on what they termed, mass protests to drive home on whether he was morally bound to continue in that office and the need for him to “resign honourably.”
According to a source, some leaders of the APC have concluded plans to take up another arm of the morality battle which would be to embark on campaigns that is expected to catch like wild fire across the country, just as this was designed to weaken his public image and popularise the idea that there was the need for him to resign.
The protest it was gathered, would be sustained until the resumed hearing of the CCT suit against Saraki on October 21.
It was also gathered that some groups of Protesters were already mobilized and would start their campaigns from Monday September 28, a day to the resumption of the Senate after a six week annual recess, just as this group was said to also be mobilising to ensure that the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was removed.

Read also: Saraki denies being attacked

As part of moves to remove Saraki through s mass protest, a source disclosed that what happened at the Ilorin Prayer ground on Thursday when some persons led the attack on the Senate President and other dignitaries during the Eid prayers in the Kwara state capital was a rehearsal to the coming protests.
The source said: “The real plan concerning the arraignment o Saraki was originally aimed at achieving two things. One was to enable him kept behind bars from Friday September 18, the first day the CCT suit was to hold and then pave the way for the Senators to remove him. The second was to orchestrate that campaign that his arraignment was bad enough for the anti-corruption war of the current government. But since Saraki did not appear before the CCT on September 18, the first leg was affected. Now the arraignment on September 22 has emboldened them to start the street campaign.”
According to the source, “The target really is Ekweremadu. If he agrees to resign, it would be easier for Saraki to continue. But Saraki became the target when he refused to lift a finger when told that he should sacrifice his deputy.”

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