Ita Giwa
       
Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, a former senior legislative aide to two former presidents states why The Presidency and the leadership of the National Assembly must bury the hatchet and adopt a process of cordial informal consultations
This type of crisis is nothing new to the senate. I recall that between 1999 and 2003 when I served in the senate that a similar situation existed, where a Senate President emerged without the endorsement or support of the ruling party leadership or Presidency. You will recall that the late Dr. Chuba Okadigbo took over the Senate Presidency after Evans Enwerem was removed against the wishes of the then President, so this Senate President is not the first to so emerge.
The difference between now and then is the disposition of our present President who has been, in my opinion, exhibiting a lot of maturity and patience because having worked for two Presidents as Presidential Legislative Special Adviser, I can authoritatively say that, this Senate President, considering the manner he emerged would not have lasted one year.
Personally, for supporting Okadigbo, I was removed as Senate Deputy Minority Leader. I was given accommodation in Apo Village at the end of the estate close to the thick forest with wild animals as my regular visitors. When I fenced the property, I was indicted for illegally erecting the fence and making senate pay for it without declaring pecuniary interest. All sorts of charges were levelled against me and at some point, I had like three cases in court. I suffered all these because I supported Okadigbo in the Impeachment of Enwerem.
The party is only now, and rightly so, insisting that the Senate President should step down now that he is in another party.
Whenever a Senate President emerges without the endorsement of the Presidency and the party leadership, this type of crisis is bound to occur. But both parties could have handled the situation better. Ordinarily, it is important for the Senate President and the President to be friends or at best be on cordial terms. Both parties have a duty to be cordial and work together for the good of the people. In my days as Special Adviser, we evolved a system of non-stop informal interactive sessions. From the time of policy formulation, we used to engage the legislators and keep them posted and engaged so that by the time the bill is drafted and laid on the table, the legislature is fully involved and the bills get passed fast.
Doing it this way engenders mutual trust and promotes co-operation without affecting the principles of separation of power between the executive and legislature.
We are at a point where both parties of necessity must reconsider their approach. Any leadership that emerges through personal alliances not linked to the party leadership will invariably be high-handed in its approach to administering the legislature, that notwithstanding it behoves such leadership to rise above base sentiments to exhibit maturity.
I pride myself for not being anyone’s apologist but this President has, in my opinion, either been indifferent to the circumstances that led to the emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as Senate President or he is an extremely tolerant person. I however choose to believe the latter because he even congratulated Saraki when the Supreme Court vindicated him.
What we are seeing now is that disagreement slows down the pace of government. The passage of bills is delayed and the people suffer unnecessarily. If the executive and legislature can adopt a process where cordial informal consultations are the order of the day, it will become a win-win situation for everyone including the populace. Democracy cannot thrive in an atmosphere of incessant disagreement, cordiality is paramount and must be sought by all means.
To achieve this, mutual respect and cordiality is the key. If the present leadership of the legislature and the executive revive my policy of nonstop informal interactive engagement, the era of purposeful governance and cordial relations will return to governance in Nigeria. I fervently pray that good conscience and love for country will prevail in the current situation between the executive and legislature.
I recall an incident during my days as a serving Senator. Our choice as Senate President, Dr. Chuba Okadigbo had taken over the mantle after we removed Evans Enwerem the then President’s favourite. Okadigbo was inundated with impeachment plots and series of intimidations engineered from outside the Senate. On one occasion, his official residence at Apo Villa was invaded by police men and under duress forced the Senate President to write and sign a bogus statement. When the news got to us- Senators who supported Okadigbo, we mobilised to the residence and successfully broke the siege and tore the bogus statement. For this, we were marked for serious retribution. When they finally impeached Okadigbo, I as a supporter, was removed as Deputy Minority Leader and indicted on trumped up charges. When I hear people say Mr. President has been overbearing in this current crisis, I laugh. Compared to what we went through with Okadigbo, this is a tea party. In fact, I think this President should be commended for displaying incredible restraint in the face of legislative provocation.

The exiled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi kanu has confirmed that he is in Israel.

The IPOB leader made this known during an online broadcast which he made on Sunday, October 21, 2018.
This is coming after photos of him praying at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem surfaced on social media on Friday, October 19, 2018.
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During his broadcast, he called on everyone listening to observe a minute of silence for the 28 people who he said gave their lives to save him from the military.
Kanu said that the plan of the Nigerian government was to assassinate him under the guise of a military exercise.
You will recall that soldiers attacked to Operation Python Dance 2 allegedly launched an attack on his father’s compound on September 14, 2017.
Hails Fayose

In his broadcast, the IPOB leader hailed the former Governor of Ekiti state, Ayo Fayose for his support, and said that IPOB stands with him in his time of persecution.
Kanu also thanked Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Prof. Ben Nwabueze, Archbishop Anthony Obinna and many others for standing for the truth.
The IPOB leader expressed gratitude to the US President, Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu for standing with the Biafra group.
I will come back

The IPOB leader also vowed to return to Nigeria, adding that no mortal can kill him. His words: “I will return and I will bring help with me.”
Kanu thanked members of IPOB for standing their ground in the face of opposition and specially praised the women wing of the group in Akwa-Ibom and Imo states who protested.
He promised to ensure that those that carried out the assault on Igbo land will pay.
Gives condition to appear in court

Speaking on the allegations that he jumped bail, Kanu described it as false, adding that he was preparing to come to court before the alleged attempt on his life.
The IPOB leader also said that he is willing to come appear in court if the international community gives him assurances of his safety.
2019 Election

Speaking on the upcoming general elections, Kanu accused the North of registering children.
He also said that the people of Biafra are enlightened people, adding that they will not take part in what he called a charade.
“We will not be part of anything until there is a referendum," he added.
Grant Kanu presidential pardon

Meanwhile, a group known as Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide (ONYCW)  has called on President Buhari to grant Nnamdi Kanu presidential pardon.
The group also called on the Federal Government to drop charges against all Biafra agitators in the interest of national reconciliation.

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he was looking forward to the All Progressives Congress (APC) peaceful primaries nationwide.
He said this at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
Buhari said with General Elections coming in early 2019, any political party worth its salt must get its internal dynamics right, and march as a team towards a decisive time as that of major elections in a country.
He said: “Today, we are meeting to look at some major decisions that will get us ready for an excellent performance at the polls next year, starting with party primaries at various levels. I urge you all to ensure that decisions taken here today are those that will avail the good of the party, and ones that meet the yearnings and expectations of our teeming members and supporters nationwide. They look up to us for guidance, and we must not disappoint or fail them.
“Let me congratulate the current leadership of our party, led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. The team emerged at a most turbulent time, when there were rumours and speculations of massive defection, in a way to possibly rock the very foundations of the party.
“Despite conciliatory attempts to keep the house together, some members were hell-bent on pulling down the roofs. They left, plotting to go along with scores of people, thus upsetting the apple cart. But due to the yeoman’s work by the new party leadership, the exit barely made a dent in our superstructure, as they could not muster the figures they had envisaged to cause an upset, particularly in the two chambers of the National Assembly. APC remains in control, and increases by the day, with quality people joining our fold. I say congratulations to the new NEC members.
“Hope is rekindled in our hearts that we will give our country purposeful leadership that will improve the quality of lives of the people. We will continue to secure the country, fight graft, and position the economy in a way that jobs can be provided for our youths, and give them a future and a hope.
“We will fulfill all the promises we have made to Nigerians. We are fulfilling them, and will continue to serve with heart and might, to build a nation where peace, justice, and prosperity shall reign.
“As we stand at the threshold of party primaries, I urge all and sundry to ensure that we play the game according to the rules. Let us come out with free, fair, and credible primaries, which will be a precursor to free, fair, and credible General Elections next year. Let us shine the light through our primaries, and the rest of the country will find the way.
“Our primaries must be in complete compliance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the Electoral Act and above all the constitution of our great party, APC.
“The times in which we are call for unity, harmony and togetherness. Let us all join hands to move the party forward. We must take our party to the next level, and I urge all and sundry to give support to our National Working Committee.”

Members of Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) from the South West have called on people of the Yoruba ethnic group to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in the forthcoming general election, for disrespecting the rule of law.
They stated this on Wednesday in Abuja, when the South West Coordinator of the group, Muftau Zakariya, led members of the group on a protest in Abuja.
They marched to the entrance of the Presidential Villa to demand the release of their leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky.
Zakariya said: "We came to protest today in Abuja to seek the release of our leader and convince government to obey  court order. The court has ordered that El-Zakzaky should be released and should be paid N50 million as damages to him and his wife, because of the illegal detention he has been subjected to. But today, the government has refused to obey that order.
"I am especially using this opportunity to talk to my fellow Yoruba men. No Yoruba man that is freely born should vote for Buhari. Buhari has killed his own people. Somebody that kills Northerners, Hausas and the elite; who shot a Muslim scholar, who jailed him and refused to grant him bail. Let me tell you the equivalent of what Buhari has done; It's like somebody catching Pastor Adeboye at RCCG, and proceeds to shoot and jail him. Can anybody expect that there is nobody in Yorubaland he cannot jail; of course, he can jail anybody.
"If a President can go to the Nigerian Bar Association and tell them that he will not obey the rule of law where security is concerned, it shows you how shallow-minded this man is. This is the man that swore an oath on the Koran, because he is a Muslim to obey the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He still believes that he is a military dictator and that Nigerians that he rules over are mere animals and that he can do whatever he likes to us.
"That is why I am using this avenue to appeal to Nigerians. Anybody that votes for Buhari is voting for somebody that does not believe in the rule of law. Anybody that votes for Buhari is voting for somebody that believes that killings should continue in Benue, Zamfara and other parts of the country.
"Do you think when Yoruba people die, or any other person dies in Nigeria, he cares? This man does not care; that is why we should just give him red card to just go back to Daura and start farming."
The protesters were prevented from gaining entry into the Presidential Villa by stern-looking policemen.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu has formally announced his bid to seek the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 Lagos governorship election.m
He made his intention known on Sunday while addressing his supporters at City Hall, Lagos.
The development means he will contest for the APC ticket against his principal, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
The aspirant is the Managing Director of Lagos State Property Development Corporation, LSDPC, a parastatal under Lagos State Government.
He is believed to have the backing of Mandate Movement, a group loyal to Bola Tinubu, national leader of the party.
Sanwo-Olu said he will make Lagos the “greatest, most vibrant city on the African continent, taking its rightful place in the comity of states around the globe”.
His words: “I have a vision for a Lagos with modern and affordable transport system, impeccable public health facilities, world class educational institutions, where we succeed in educating and skilling our youth, especially our children.
“A vision for a Lagos where our children are educated and our youth are highly-skilled, healthy, free of hunger, illiteracy, disease and destitution.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to achieve the Lagos of our dream.”
Sanwo-Olu added that he, “will be a good party man and run an inclusive government” while he also commended Babatunde Fashola, former Lagos governor, for his efforts while leading the state”.

The senator representing Nasarawa West in Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Adamu, has described Bukola Saraki as “a drowning man” who is clutching at straws to salvage his dwindling reputation.
Adamu, while reacting to Saraki’s recent allegation that he (Adamu) is “a mischievous liar,” said the senate president actually “turned reality on his head because he (Saraki) is the actual liar.”
Senator Saraki had, in a recent statement issued by his media aide, alleged that the former Nasarawa State governor’s support for President Muhammadu Buhari was half-hearted and only prompted by Adamu’s imminent prosecution for alleged corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“I have deliberately ignored the antics of Adamu, especially his constant media attack on me and the senate since the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) dusted his file on alleged case of corruption and also went ahead to arraign his son in court.
“He feels the best way to play his self-survival game and ingratiate himself to the government in order to save his skin, is to be seen to be fighting Saraki,” the senate president enthused.
However, reacting to Senator Saraki’s allegations, Senator Adamu maintained that the Senate president’s scathing attack on him “only goes to show the extent to which he is desperately struggling to salvage his bad situation
“He is being dishonest about this EFCC talk simply because he hopes to smear me in order to burnish his own diminishing reputation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, this case that was in the Federal High Court in Lafia, was discharged since June 28, 2016, and the senate president is very much aware of this.
“However, because he sees me as one of those who have contributed to the current heat he’s receiving, he mischievously turned the reality on its head.”