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EXCLUSIVE | Tension in Aso Rock Over Threat by PDP Senators to Withdraw Support from Buhari’s Govt

Tension has gripped the Aso Rock presidential seat of power over a threat by senators of Nigeria’s leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to withdraw support from the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, SIGNAL can report.

Sources familiar with the details disclosed to SIGNAL on Thursday that frantic efforts were being made by President Muhammadu Buhari through proxies to assess the extent to which the threat by the PDP senators may affect his government and to consider the possibility of lobbying the leadership of the Senate to broker a truce.

“I can authoritatively tell you that there is palpable tension in Aso Rock right now over the threat by PDP senators to withdraw support from President Buhari’s government. Because, what this means is that if the PDP senators make good their threat and withdraw their support, it practically becomes impossible for President Buhari to get any confirmation of key appointments like that of the new IGP, the EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Magu and of course, there will be no screening of ambassadors. I think the Presidency just realized the reality they have to grapple with and now they are running helter skelter. It’s a dicey situation for the Presidency”, one of the sources who did not want to be named, told SIGNAL.

Meanwhile, according to an informed source, President Buhari has already reached out to the leadership of his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to assist with a solution out of the festering crisis with the PDP senators. Lending credence to this development, APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun was sighted at the Abuja residence of Senate President, Bukola Saraki on Wednesday. Oyegun has come under fire within the APC for reportedly endorsing the CCT trial of Saraki, further fueling concerns that the Senate President’s trial is politically motivated through the connivance of the APC leadership and President Buhari’s government.

A cold war between the Nigerian Senate and Presidency has been brewing for months, with the Saraki trial, marking a watershed in a battle royale that has seen the Executive and Legislative arms of government at loggerheads over several issues of national interest including the 2016 budget and some key political appointments.

Recently, the testy relationship between the Senate and Presidency has deepened with President Buhari’s focus on members of the opposition PDP, many of who are allegedly being hounded by anti-graft agencies for criticizing the government of President Buhari. The opposition PDP has accused the Buhari government of masking its persecution of the PDP with the war against corruption.

Senators of the PDP on Tuesday formally resolved to totally withdraw their support for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

The Senators said it was time to end their one-year romance with the government, noting that the APC led government actions toward their party members so far, since taking over the central government were enough agonies to withdraw their support.

The resolution was taken following the court summons on the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, along with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules.

At the time of filing this report, the details of a possible truce between Buhari and the Senate were still sketchy. But inside sources familiar with the details told SIGNAL on Friday, there would be no going back in what may well become a messy showdown between the Executive and Legislature should the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN proceed to arraign Saraki and Ekweremadu next week.

 

 

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Copyright 2015 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.

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