Senator Wakili tackles colleagues over Adamu’s removal

Senator Ali Wakili has accused some of his colleagues of lying that majority of the members of Northern Senators Forum agreed to remove Senator Abdullahi Adamu as caucus chairman.

Senator Melaye had during Wednesday’s plenary read a letter in which he claimed “majority” of the forum’s members opposed Adamu’s continued stay as the caucus leader. However, Senator Wakili, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, said members of the forum did not meet at any time.

Raising a point of rder at Thursday plenary, Senator Wakili said at no time did the forum met and put to question any of the leaders of the Northern Senators Forum.

He further said: “It was brought to this place and it was announced and some of our colleagues went to the Press Centre and made statements that referred to some of us as monkeys. We are taking this political brinkmanship beyond the level we are supposed to take it. We are supposed to be wise men.

“The fact that I am not privy and the fact that the northern senators forum was dragged my privilege has been breached because nobody called me for a meeting. Senator Barau Jibrin, secretary of the forum, had never called a meeting. Senator Dino Melaye, the public relations officer of the forum, had never called for a meeting.”

Recalls that Senator Abdullahi had opposed his colleagues over the re-ordering of election timetable, which he said was aimed at President Muhammadu Buhari.

He was backed by nine other senators, who staged a walkout during the adoption of the conference report in favour of the change in election sequence.

Unlike in 2015 general election, the national assembly election will be conducted before that of the president in the 2019 general election. Although the senate-favoured timetable conflicts with the Independent National Electoral Commission already released, the body said it would implement the latter when assented to by President Buhari.