- Appeal of Saraki’s CCT judgement behind hostility
Findings by National Daily has revealed that the crisis between the Federal Executive Council, headed by acting President Yemi Osinbajo and leadership of the Senate is not unconnected with the decision of the Federal Government to appeal the judgement of the Code of Conduct Tribunal case against Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
National Daily gathered from reliable source within the Presidency that Osinbajo’s comment that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu doesn’t need the Senate’s approval to continue in his present capacity was only used as a cover up to justify the Senate hostile actions.
One of the reasons, National Daily also gathered is the ongoing bid to recall Senator Dino Melaye in Kogi West by members of his constituents which another source claimed was a ploy to get at the Senate President, Melaye being a top loyalist of Saraki.
The issue of the utterances of the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola is also said to be one of the reasons behind the hostility. According to the source, the Senate is unhappy that the acting President has refused to call the Minister to order.
Meanwhile, acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, as part of the moves to thaw the ice scheduled reached out to the leadership of the National Assembly towards averting imminent paralysis of the machinery of government.
The meeting, it was learned last night, was at the instance of the acting president who, it was learned, is fighting to avert seeming conspiracies among some persons in the National Assembly and the Presidency to derail his function as acting president.
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“If the National Assembly goes on recess without confirming those nominees or the President getting National Assembly approval for those strategic loans needed for key infrastructure projects, how can Osinbajo succeed?” a source who spoke in confidence asked yesterday.
The crisis between the two arms of government came to a head last Tuesday when the Senate turned back Osinbajo’s request for the confirmation of Mr. Lanre Gbajabiamila as Director-General of the National Lottery Commission.
Alleging high-level conspiracy directed at the Osinbajo presidency, the source asked why those with the ears of the cabal in the presidency such as Senators Yerima and Karibu Marafa were very passionate about the motion to stop reject further nominations from Osinbajo.
There were also claims yesterday that claims attributed to Osinbajo at the EFCC function in Kaduna where he was represented by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State were not representative of the acting president.