Nigeria’s senate has been faulted for asking Senator Musiliu Obanikoro to take a bow amidst protest by senators from the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The action was described as a shame since Obanikoro was allegedly involved in the rigging of the Governorship election that took place in Ekiti State in 2014 as contained in an audio on the issue, which went viral few weeks back.
Speaking further on the matter in an interview, the Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Musibau Kolawole Taiwo said that Obanikoro shouldn’t have been asked to take a bow based on what is now tagged; Ekitigate scandal, as he said that he did not go to the senate as a former senator this time around, but as a former minister.
He stressed that if Nigeria were to be a country, where democracy thrives, even President Goodluck Jonathan ought to have resigned over the controversial matter.
“The funniest thing is that it is not about Senator Musiliu Obanikoro being at the meeting, but he is the only person amongst those that were indicted that is still denying his involvement in the matter. Others like Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State and Senator Iyiola Omisore have admitted that they were part of the meeting.
“Obanikoro said that he was not at the meeting even, when his voice was loud and clear, which means his case is double jeopardy for Nigeria. A minister of the federation used his portfolio to rig an election. He now lied that he was not there. Even President Jonathan is just doing whatever he likes these days, if not he would not have returned such a person as a minister in this country again,” he stated.
On the walk-out staged by APC senators during the clearance of Obanikoro at the senate chamber, the Deputy Speaker said that they did that to express their grievances over the matter, and that the PDP and Obanikoro would still have had their way since what was needed was a simple majority to pass the ministerial nominee.
He accused some legislators of not voting according to their conscience in certain matters, and that some PDP senators would have voted against Obanikoro if they followed their conscience.
According to Kolawole, some senators would have lost elections because of their role in the matter, while emphasising that it was time we started testing the truth in Nigeria.
“People should look at what you have done in the past and if there is anyone that negates what you are saying now, you are in trouble. The legislature needs to explain their actions. Some actions look so simple, but they could destroy the country. I expect the people to start querying the legislature. The precedent would not have changed if they turned Obanikoro down,” he said.
The lawmaker reiterated his views on card reader, which he said he has never seen before, but that based on the reports, he has read, the device worked well, when it was tested in some states recently, and that we need to consider its advantages.
He said that no election can be 100 per cent accurate, but that card reader should be supported by the people and politicians, who don’t have other means of winning elections.
Kolawole maintained that anyone that is against card reader is an enemy of the nation, adding that the INEC has successfully given PVC to 80 per cent of the registered voters.
“The Governors of the PDP that were criticising INEC on the elections were part of the 36 state governors that locked themselves up in a room to elect the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) and because they didn’t win, they were unable to announce the result of only 36 ballot papers.
“Are they the ones, who would say something is good or not. They have no moral justification to comment about elections. They don’t even have patriotic mind to accept the result of their own club. They are talking about INEC that would conduct elections in 36 states for almost 100 million people,” he said.
The politician faulted President Jonathan for allegedly lying that he spoke with King Mohammed V1 of Morocco on the phone, which the country has since denied and over which the country subsequently recalled her ambassador to Nigeria over the matter.
He stated that this was enough for the president to resign as he, according to him, portrayed the country as a liar.
“It is gross misconduct, if the National Assembly does not do anything about it, then they do not worth our votes. Why should a sitting president lie. I always say that we lose our sovereignty the moment we elect someone into an office and we cannot get it back until his tenure expires.
“President Jonathan is Nigeria, and if a country now says that Mr. Nigeria is lying to the extent that the man now recalls his ambassador to Nigeria, then Nigeria is sick and we need a medical attention,” he explained.
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