Delta Central's passionately-Buhari Senator Omo-Agege suspended for 90 legislative days

SENATOR Ovie Omo-Agege representing Delta Central Senatorial District has been suspended for 90 legislative days for insulting the National Assembly by stating that its plans to amend the Electoral Act was a personal attack on President Muhammadu Buhari.

A passionate supporter of the president, Senator Omo-Agege clashed with his colleagues in the upper chamber following their decision to amend the Electoral Act 2010, which governs the sequence of polls in a general election. Nigeria's National assembly and the executive have been at loggerheads over the matter and Senator Omo-Agege said the objection of the legislature was targeted at President Buhari.

Following a petition by Senator Dino Melaye, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions had investigated Senator Omo-Agege’s comments. Yesterday, the report by the committee, which was considered at the plenary found the lawmaker guilty despite his apology to the chamber and recommended that he be suspended for 181 legislative days, which adds up to about one year.

However, senate president Bukola Saraki, pleaded that the duration of the suspension be reduced to 90 days, representing six months, which was unanimously granted. In addition, the senate also resolved that Senator Omo-Agege should withdraw a case he instituted against the chamber, while asking that the pro-Buhari Parliamentary Support Group be disbanded.

This came on the back of a very rowdy session following Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s description of President Buhari as incompetent in his handling of clashes between farmers and herdsmen across the country. Senator Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District, had used the word while reacting to President Buhari’s comments made in London earlier this week, when he said the killer herdsmen were not Nigerians but militias trained by the late Muammar Gadaffi of Libya.

He also wondered why the president, inspector-general of police and the defence minister have propounded different reasons for the recurring clashes. Several Pro-Buhari senators like majority leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, however, attacked Senator Abaribe, asking him to withdraw his comments and apologise.