Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday received the backing of the people of the South South and South East of Nigeria in the face of the current upheavals in the National Assembly, even as he has been urged to remain focused in his new assignment and work for the country.
The support for the federal legislator was contained in a communique issued by the Eastern Region Assembly (TERA), a group representing citizens of the South-South and South-Eastern zones.
The group met in Lagos on Sunday to review the state of the Nigerian nation.
In a statement signed by TERA’s Protem Secretary, Mr. Tony I. Uranta, the group renewed its commitment to a united Nigeria with respect for cultural diversities and impartial application of the rule of law.
The statement reads in parts: "TERA is worried about the ongoing brouhaha in the National Assembly, and observed that as concerned Nigerians, we wonder if there really could be an issue of forgery or any offense whatsoever for any police to investigate regarding the Senate Elections of9th June 2015, and posit, without prejudice to any legal position taken by the FGN, that any purported investigation of Senate Procedures/Proceedings by any Body/Agency other than said Senate could, at best, be seen only as undue political interference in the internal process of the Senate.
"The election of Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a PDP Senator, in a Senate with APC majority, should not raise any legal or constitutional eyebrows, because it is not new, unique or unusual in the politics of Nigeria, for such to happen!
"The law is that Senators will elect among themselves, irrespective of political party, a Senate President and a Deputy Senate President. That applies, also, to Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative, as well as Speakers and Deputy Speakers of State Assemblies. This has been the law and practice since 1999 when we adopted the Presidential system of Government .
"Following this law and practice, an APP member became Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly in 1999, with a PDP majority of the membership of the House. The PDP produced the Deputy Speaker.
The group recalled that similar scenario played out in the second republic. It continued, "Before that, in 1979, Chief Edwin Umezoke of NPP was elected Speaker of the House of Reps in an NPN dominated House of Reps. NPN produced the Deputy speaker . Also in the Senate of that era Dr. Wayas of NPN was Senate President, and NPP a minority party produced the Deputy Senate President.
"In this present dispensation, on the 8th day of June 2015, a day before the inauguration of the present Senate, APC produced the Speakers in Benue and Plateau State Assemblies where the PDP have majority in both Assemblies. PDP produced the d Deputies respectively in the two states.
"No self-respecting pundit of Nigerian politics can claim to have forgotten that in 2014 then-Speaker Tambawal of PDP moved over to APC whilst the PDP was still in the majority within the House. He retained his position because it is constitutional and usual. One remembers many praising the development as "democracy in action".
"Has ‘Democracy in Action’ developed new definitions because some powerful interest groups are not comfortable with the person or zonal background of Senator Ekweremadu?! Or, is the publicly-averred intent to negatively perceive/treat certain zones, because of voting patterns, to be taken seriously by Nigerians and other citizens of the Free World?
"We pray that wisdom prevails, and that every Nigerian enjoys all Equity Rights and Democratic Freedoms, irrespective of ethnic background, political affiliation and religious beliefs, so that this nation can achieve its optimal greatness in peace and unity."
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