Senate suspends APC lawmaker who opposed election reordering

The senate has suspended Ovie Omo-Agege, an All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker from Delta state, for 90 legislative days.

The upper legislative chamber took the decision after it considered a report by its ethics committee.

The committee had recommended that senator be suspended for 181 days but the senate reduced it after pleas from lawmakers.

Omo-Agege was one of the senators who kicked against the election reordering bill.

Although he apologised for his stand, he still went to the court to get a restraining order against any move by the senate to suspend him.

His action was said to have angered some of his colleagues who pushed for his suspension.

Speaking after Samuel Anyanwu, chairman of the ethics committee, presented his report, Ahmed Lawan, senate leader, said while the lawmakers are angered at Omo-Agege for going to court, the senate should accept his apology but warn him “sternly”.

“The main reasons it appears to me for this recommendation of 181 days suspension is because he has gone to court,” Lawan said.

“This is to me something that we would not like to happen but when it happens, that a member of this family went to court maybe in desperation maybe thinking a drastic action would be taken against him.

“For me, I would suggest that he withdraws the court action and we don’t suspend him. Let’s focus on making ourselves each other’s keeper.”

But Bala Na’Allah, deputy senate leader, held a different opinion and said the senator must be disciplined.

He said it was wrong for Omo-Agege to belong to a group that alleged that election reordering bill was targeted at President Muhammadu Buhari.

“As a family we must have discipline and must live peacefully for this institution and the only we can do it, is that get the consquence of what they are saying,” he said.

“Let us take away sentiments, we are going to leave here whether we like it or not either through death or whatever but this institution will remain we must be very careful about it.”

On his part, Senate President Bukola Saraki said there must be discipline in the chamber.

“Those of us that understand politics, understand that because of our own peculiar interest, sometimes some people decide to act like they are holier than thou or more committed — at the expense of others,” he said.

“This is not something that we should tolerate, and I believe that in an institution like this we must show discipline, but at the same time we must also show compassion.

“Distinguished colleagues, there must be discipline. We must show that such groups must be suspended and the case in court must be withdrawn.”

Saraki said out of compassion, the recommendation for Omo-Agege’s suspension should be reduced to 90 days.

The recommendation of 90 days was adopted after Saraki put it to a voice vote.