Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the attack on the Senate by suspected political thugs during plenary on Wednesday.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the APC’s position known in a statement made available to the NEXT EDITION.
“The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to the invasion of the Nigerian Senate by suspected thugs, who disrupted Wednesday’s plenary and made away with the mace,” the statement reads.
“The APC hereby condemns the action and views it as an attack on our democracy and a desecration of the hallowed institution of the National Assembly.
“We, therefore, call on security agencies to take all necessary actions to recover the stolen mace and ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to justice,” the APC stated.
Read also: APC announces date of national convention
Suspected thugs had invaded the Senate during plenary and made away with the mace.
Shortly after the incident, the Senate fingered its suspended member, Ovie Omo-Agege of Delta State for being behind the crime.
Spokesperson of the upper legislature, Aliyu Abdullahi, described the action as an attempt to overthrow an arm of the government.
Mr. Abdullahi in a statement said the Senate has called on security agencies to help retrieve the mace.
“Today, some hoodlums led by suspended Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, walked into the Senate plenary and seized the symbol of authority of the Upper Legislative Chamber, the mace,” said Mr. Abdullahi
“This action is an act of treason, as it is an attempt to overthrow a branch of the Federal Government of Nigeria by force, and it must be treated as such.
“All Security agencies must stand on the side of due process and immediately mobilise their personnel to retrieve the mace and apprehend the mastermind and the perpetrators of this act.
“This action is also an affront to the legislature, and the Leadership of the House has come to express their support for this action.
“The Senate is now in an Executive session. An updated statement will be released immediately after the closed-door session.”
Senator Omo-Agege was suspended for 90 legislative days following his claim that the re-ordering of the sequence of the 2019 election by the legislature was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.
Analysts have argued that the president would be at a disadvantage during the election if the presidential election comes last as re-arranged by the National Assembly.
