My Suspension Will Be Abuse Of Power – Sen Adamu

Following rumours making the rounds in the senate yesterday that Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC Nasarawa West) may be suspended for allegedly organing or plotting to overthrow Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President, Senator Adamu has dismissed the rumour saying it would amount to abuse of power to suspend him in the senate.

Senator Adamu had in a press statement signed by him yesterday said the alleged plan against him and other subtle attacks that had been made on him, would not in any way deter him from remaining loyal to the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and fight its enemies on the floor of the senate. “I have heard what I consider to be rumours to the effect that the senate plans to suspend me.

I hope it is a mere rumour bandied about in the current climate of mutual recrimination. “However, I would not be surprised if such an extreme form of punishment is being contemplated by the senate leadership. “I would caution against the decision, if indeed such a decision is on the cards, to suspend me because it would serve no purpose other than to demonstrate the exercise of power in a manner that results in its abuse.

“If the intention is to gag me or intimidate me, I am afraid it would not be worth the effort. Neither adversary nor adversity can force me to abandon my resolve as a matter of personal honour and principle to always speak the truth and defend the truth. It is not in my nature to see what I consider to be wrong and either keep quiet or pretend that it is not my concern.

Whatever affects the interests of this administration is my concern because as a senator and as a member of the ruling party, I am but a servant of the APC brought into power on the consent of the good people of this country who expect the government to serve, protect and defend their interests”, he said.

Adamu who chronicled his alleged offence against some forces in the senate to be when he stood up on the floor few weeks back to caution against running the government led by President Muhammadu Buhari down, kicked against new sequence of elections inserted into the electoral act amendment bill along with some other senators. He said the voice of dissent he offered at such instances, are democratically and constitutionally allowed.

According to him, shutting out such dissenting voice would inflict irreparable damage to the parliament and by extension, the nation’s democracy. “The day we snuff out the right of dissent in and outside the senate legislative chambers would mark the beginning of our loss of individual and collective rights as Nigerian citizens. May such a day never come”, he stressed.

He explained further that all allegations leveled against him so far as regards destabilisation plot against the senate and its leadership are barefaced lies, saying “ to achieve what and for what purpose?” He however said as a Senator of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria , his loyalty to the Senate as an Institution would remain intact regardless of whatever his antagonists in the senate do at the end of the day.

The statement reads in part:” The public is aware that I have been the subject of vilification by both the leadership and my distinguished colleagues in the 8th senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the past three weeks or so. “Various attempts have been made, and are still being made, to impugn my integrity and question my support for the leadership of the senate and my loyalty to the senate.

“I have thus far refrained from a press war in defense of myself because I am fully aware that a press warfare resolves nothing. In all wars, including a press war, the truth suffers; the public becomes less informed and more confused about the facts and the issues at stake. “I have taken some necessary steps within the confines of the senate to defend myself and re-assure my distinguished colleagues that I remain unshaken in my commitment and faithful to my oath as a legislator on whom the constitution imposes the burden of making laws for the good governance of our dear country.

“I am now forced to respond to some of the barefaced lies and the nasty allegations against me because the public has the right to know the facts. My objective is to properly educate the public on my ‘crime’ or ‘crimes.’ It is important for the public to know that I have committed no crime against the senate and/or its leadership.

“ I have done nothing to bring the revered upper legislative house to ridicule intentionally or inadvertently. “I am in the senate primarily to represent the interest of my people in the South-Western senatorial district of Nasarawa State. “My voice is the voice of my people; my stand on critical national issues that agitate us is the stand of my people. “To suspend me on the basis of baseless allegations that do not amount to the infraction of senate rules is to deny them my voice and my representation.

“The power to suspend a senator be exercised with a grave sense of responsibility in order to protect the integrity of the senate as an important democratic institution and of individual senators. “I believe we need to retrace our steps and reconsider our stand as legislators on matters of public interest. Our party, APC, has the majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, yet we hold the executive prisoner of politics that are unhealthy for the polity.

“It is such a terrible irony that we sabotage our own government by refusing to do our part in support of the executive. Appointments requiring senate approval are held up. The consequence is that the public has nicknamed the president and his administration go-slow. “The people gave us the mandate as a party to deliver.

With our control of the executive and the National Assembly, there is no reason why the government cannot acquit itself and fulfill the yearnings of the people. Perhaps, while we are consumed with sabotaging the administration and stabbing one another in the back, we forget that in less than a year from now, we shall be required to seek the people’s revalidation of our mandate to sit in these hallowed chambers. What shall we tell them?

Source