MASTERSTROKE: AHEAD OF 2015 ELECTIONS!
Panic Hits Nigeria’s Main Opposition, APC…as Obanikoro Emerges Minister of State for Defense
*’Why we Confirmed Him Minister’-Nigeria’s Senate
*Revealed: ‘How Last Minute PDP Senators’ Caucus Meeting Saved Obanikoro’
*Gossip Trending: ‘Soldiers will be Used to Rig Elections-another EkitiGate coming’
BY SAMSON SHOAGA/MANAGING EDITOR, TEXAS & CHUKS ONUGA/POLITICAL REPORTER, ABUJA
AS the much awaited General Elections ‘battle’ draw nearer daily, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) majority-led upper National Assembly dealt a heavy blow on ‘legislative road-blocks’ earlier planted by All Progressive Congress (APC) Senators to stop the ambition of Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Senator, staunch member of PDP at being confirmed a Minister in Nigeria.
Naija Standard gathered that the main opposition, APC, had already concluded in their various meetings that ‘there was no way Obanikoro could have passed their legislative hurdle’, but they forgot that Democracy is a process of numbers, where the minority have their say and majority have their ways. On two separate occasions, APC played up the issue of ‘PDP alleged use of soldiers to rig Ekiti State election, Dual national citizenship of Obanikoro and On-going trial of Obanikoro in Court’. These were shouted down by PDP led-Senators which led to protest in the chambers.
After two failed attempts, Senate disregarded point of order raised by APC in the hallowed upper chamber. Last week, Senate leadership session became rowdy as Senators debated whether Obanikoro should be allowed to enjoy the traditional “take a bow and go”, privilege enjoyed by a former member of the upper legislative Chamber.
His appearance today generated another rowdy session as the opposition Senators, especially of the APC from Lagos and Ekiti States, raised point of order, which was declined by the Senate President, David Mark.
Eventually, when Obanikoro was asked to observe the take a bow and go, the APC legislators in the Chambers protested and staged a walk out.
Naija Standard investigation showed that sensing the direction APC Senators were going, an emergency caucus meeting among the standing committees of the leading party came to a resolution to dismiss any ‘noise or furore’ APC may make much as the Senate President should go ahead and ‘crumble’ legislatively any hurdle put on Obanikoros’ way. For this reason, Mark told embattled APC senators that Obanikoro has no matter pending in court since he as a sitting Senate President allegedly mentioned in the suit had not been officially served. His words: “Court cases are not served on people on the pages of newspapers. I have not yet been served as Nigeria’s Senate President since I was mentioned in the alleged court case. As far as I am concerned, there is no point of order raised, as Obanikoro is hereby confirmed a minister. He should take a bow and go.”
As at press time, this has created a lot of crisis in the APC has they have summoned emergency meetings to look at this latest position of the Senate, make their own statement and prepare a Plan B for the election proper.
Gossip Trending: ‘Soldiers will be Used to Rig Elections-another EkitiGate coming’
Meanwhile, trending in some sections of the social media is an allegation that Obanikoro’s a appointment as Minister of State for Defense is to frustrate any move by APC in the General Election to allegedly ensured ‘soldiers are used in the 2015 Presidential Election in a bid to give victory to Goodluck Jonathan, the incumbent president in a landslide victory over General Muhammadu Buhari, the 72-year old presidential candidate of APC.
Effort is being made by Naija Standard to get the reaction of Obanikoro in this EkitiGate reflection.
