Oshiomhole: PDP senators mobilised thugs who assaulted our members at n’assembly

Adams Oshiomhole, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of mobilising thugs who allegedly assaulted APC lawmakers at the national assembly.

Oshiomhole said this while speaking with journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Friday.

“About 15 PDP Senators were in the senate and imported thugs that molested two of our members they saw in the senate,” he said.

Oshiomhole also attacked Senate President Bukola Saraki, saying everything he has done is for himself and not for national interest.

He alleged that Saraki’s actions were calculated to undermine the country’s democracy.

According to him, the legislative arm of government is “completely unaccountable” because of the way the senate president has presided over it.

“So, I submit that Saraki’s actions were calculated to undermine democracy. Those who fought for democracy did not do it so that it can be at the mercies of a senate president whose interest is clearly at variance with national interest. There was a request for virement which was also not considered,” he said.

“A substantial part of the 2018 budget meant for capital project was supposed to be sourced through loans and under the constitution, you cannot borrow from foreign countries without the express endorsement of the national assembly.

“Without those loans, the budget cannot be implemented. While this was pending, senator Saraki put his personal interest above his office and choose to adjourn the senate , leaving this huge national issues unattended to. So, for an officer that behaves like that, how can he argue that anything he did was not about himself?

“Everything he did has never been informed by national interest. There are also allegations of lack of transparency and we have seen Nigerians trying to demystify what they earn. We have an arm that is completely unaccountable because of the way he has presided.”

Oshiomhole wondered why Saraki would allege that there was a plan to illegally remove him from office.

“Until an action takes place, you cannot determine the outcome, if impeachment itself is unlawful, then you can understand where he is coming from. It is lawful to impeach anyone, including the President the Senate and his deputy if the number required to do so is present. So, he cannot pre-empt that. From their own statement, they claimed to be aware that the senate president was going to be illegally impeached and so mobilized thugs to the senate.”