Senators Testifying Against Saraki, Ekweremadu to Face Punishment

Premium Times reports that lawmakers from the Unity Forum, an anti-Saraki faction who have volunteered to testify in the Federal High Court in Abuja against the senate's principal officers in the ongoing trial over the forgery of the standing rules may face suspension.

The news emanated on Wednesday the 13th of July, 2016 following a motion raised by Senator Dino Melaye which threw a closed door plenary session into a disarray after a confrontation by Lagos lawmaker, Remi Tinubu.

Mr. Melaye said the action of senators was capable of inflicting irreparable damage to the sanctity and integrity of the National Assembly, sources present at the closed-door session told the online newspaper.

Senators Kabiru Marafa, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Ahmed Lawan, Ajayi Borofice, Gbenga Ashafa and Abdullahi Gumel are joining other witnesses to testify against Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu. They all opposed the emergence of Mr. Saraki as president.

Mr. Melaye said the only way to instill discipline amongst senators was to punish those who tried to do the bidding of the executive at the expense of the legislature.

The Kogi lawmaker said the only way they could deflect suspension was for the lawmakers to cease being a witnesses to the prosecutor and withdraw their case entirely. But Mr. Saraki reminded Mr. Melaye that a committee had already been set up and was expected to submit its findings to the Senate for action.

A former senate president, David Mark, who led the committee that was liaising with the aggrieved lawmakers, said his report would be completed in two weeks.