Senate President Bukola Saraki has condemned the Tuesday’s blockade of the National Assembly by operatives of the Department of State Security, DSS, saying the invasion was “a show of shame.”
Saraki disclosed this at a world press conference he addressed at the National Assemby Complex, Abuja on Wednesday
“The siege, he continued, “was also an act of cowardice by those seeking to carry out an illegal impeachment of the leadership of the Senate in flagrant disregard of the law. People who seek control at all costs, by whatever means, never minding the injury to democratic norms.”
Saraki, who was accompanied by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, however, showered praises on the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, “for his handling of the situation we were all confronted with yesterday.”
“His decisive action,” he said, “went a long way towards restoring confidence. It sent a powerful message – that the DSS cannot be recklessly deployed against institutions of our democracy. The path of leadership is not by party, and we must commend it wherever it is found. Mr. Acting President did the right thing.”
Although the Acting President ordered full investigation into the incident which cost Lawal Musa Daura, the erstwhile Director General of the DSS, his job, the Senate President still made a strong request for the same during his press conference.
The incident, he said, raised “very serious questions”that can only be answered by a full investigation. “We call for an investigation, and we demand that all perpetrators are brought to book. We owe it to ourselves to ensure that such a situation never occurs again.”
Reiterating that Tuesday’s event cast a dark cloud on Nigeria’s democracy, but thanking Nigerians, especially civil society organisations and others for dispelling the same, Saraki said “government must ensure that security agencies remain neutral and act in line with the position of the constitution as well as their enabling laws.”
“Heads of Agencies should be accountable,” he added, “and those who step out of line must be held responsible for their actions. Enough with impunity
