The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) has expressed displeasure over the comment credited to Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who while contributing to a debate on the floor of the red chamber on Wednesday insinuated that a military abortion of Nigeria’s democracy is likely due to allegations of abuse of rights.
A statement issued on Friday in Lagos by the group, signed by the Executive Chairman, Nelson Ekujumi, said that coming from a ranking Senator and principal officer of the hallowed chamber of law making, the comment is irresponsible, barbaric, imbecilic, insensitive, irresponsive, reckless, condemnable, inciting, assault on Nigerians democratic rights, invitation to anarchy and seditious.
“Time and time again, this 8th Senate in the life of our democratic journey have lived up to its billing as the greatest threat to our democracy and national security by its irresponsible, infantile tantrums, unparliamentarily and abuse of legislative privileges comments and conduct.
“Members of both houses of the National Assembly have repeatedly uttered statements and conducted their legislative affairs in a manner that cast aspersions on the integrity and responsibility of the hallowed chamber and as well question their mental health fitness. The statement credited to deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu tends to cast doubt on the integrity and loyalty of members of the armed forces to the constitution as well as being a subtle invitation for the overthrow of democratic institution by a beneficiary of Nigerians sweat and toil for democracy which birthed at a huge cost,” the statement said.
It noted: “In view of the above, we demand the following: That members of the National Assembly comprising the Senate and House of Representatives be immediately subjected to mental health examination.
“That the Senate should immediately waive the legislative immunity of deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu and surrender him to the security agencies for questioning to shed more light on his inside knowledge about the possibility of a military coup because like our people say, there is no smoke without fire.
“That deputy senate president be immediately placed on security watch list as a threat to our democracy and national security and that that the international community should immediately place him on global watch list as a threat to democracy and civil order.
“That President Muhammadu Buhari as President and Commander in Chief of Nigeria’s armed forces should immediately send a strong worded letter to the Senate of his administration’s indignation at the irresponsible and seditious statement of the deputy senate president. That the Senate should immediately pass a resolution condemning the barbaric and reckless comment of Ekweremadu and distance itself away from it,” the statement demanded.
It maintained that failure of the Senate to live up to its statutory mandate as the bastion of democracy by immediately condemning and distancing itself from the provocative and treasonable comment of Ekweremadu, implies that the statement enjoys the support of members and is the consensus opinion of the house, which is sad, unfortunate and utterly condemnable.