Drama at National Assembly is blocked and pro-Buhari senators meet at Sheraton to impeach Saraki

NIGERIA'S ongoing political drama took a further twist this morning after men of the Department of State Security (DSS) sealed off the entrance to the National Assembly and senators loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari fixed a meeting at Sheraton Hotel in Abuja to impeach senate president Bukola Saraki.

Over the last fortnight, Nigeria has been engulfed in high stakes political drama after about 15 senators, 37 members of the House of Representatives and three governors left the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), defecting to the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Scoring a coup of its own, the APC has successfully wooed the minority leader in the senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the former Akwa Ibom State governor and a leading PDP member who is planning to formally defect at a rally in Ikot Ekpene tomorrow.

With tensions growing, there have been calls for Senator Saraki, who led the defections to reconvene the senate, which is currently on recess. As meetings were being called to discuss this, things took a surprise turn this morning with masked DSS men sealing off the National Assembly premises, preventing legislators and their aides from going to their offices.

In a drama that is unfolding by the minute, senators loyal to President Buhari are now converging in Sheraton Hotel as the plot to impeach Senator Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu grows. It is not clear if this is just a strategy meeting of if they plan to actually effect the impeachment at the hotel.

Yusuph Olaniyonu, senator Saraki's special adviser said: “The senators loyal to the government are now convening in Sheraton Hotel where the illegal impeachment exercise will be commencing.”

Some senators loyal to Senator Saraki have forced their way into the National Assembly complex, however and are currently in front of the senate chambers ahead of a planned meeting. Senators who managed to enter the complex include Biodun Olujimi, Rafiu Ibrahim, Aidoko Atai, Ahmed Ogembe, Ben Bruce-Murray, Isa Misau, Peter Nwaboshi, Solomon Lah, Muhammad Shittu, Emmanuel Bwacha and Gilbert Nnaji.

Senator , Rafiu Ibrahim, representing Kwara South Senatorial District, said: “I was just barred by fully armed, masked officers of the DSS from entering the National Assembly. We’re acting on the order from above, I was told by officers laying siege on the assembly."