Anti-Saraki senators desert Marafa, warn him to shut up or ship out

The Senate Unity Forum led by Sen. Ahmad Lawan has denounced one of its own, Sen. Kabiru Marafa, saying the senator is fighting his personal battle behind the façade of the SUF.

Although he has been the most outspoken antagonist of Senate President Bukola Saraki for the subterfuge that brought him to power, Marafa was Tuesday told by the SUF to stop disparaging the NASS.

According to media report, the pro-Lawan group met after a plenary, and asked Marafa to differentiate between his personal views and those of the SUF.

Two of the pro-Saraki senators had earlier petitioned the ethic committee over Marafa’s endorsement of corruption allegations former President Olusegun Obasanjo levelled against the NASS recently.

He also told the media that Saraki is using the 2016 budget controversy to blackmail President Muhammadu Buhari.

The APC senator was supposed to appear before the committee on Monday, but he wrote its chairman Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, excusing himself for his absence.

The committee report was, however, submitted before Saraki Tuesday, and action was going to be taken against Marafa when a crowd of protesters (Open Society and Good Governance Initiative) besieged the NASS complex, asking Saraki to step down and face his Code of Conduct Tribunal trial instead of forcing Marafa to resign.

“Democracy thrives where there is fairness, rule of law, freedom of expression among others. In a situation where the legislature is foreclosing the democratic space, that is an invitation to fascism,” said Emeka Ude, leader of the protesters.

The protest eventually led the upper chamber to adjourn the session, a decision that gave Marafa, whose APC colleagues said organised the protest, the opportunity to brag some more.

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According to him, the behaviour of the committee was very undistinguished. “That’s why I went to plenary today to see how they will pass judgement without hearing me. I deserve to be heard,” he told Premium Times.  “Even the Senate President who is facing criminal charges is given right to defend himself.

On the allegations, he said he had read the said interview again.  “I wish to stand by everything I said. I am defending the institution of the Senate.”