The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed as baseless the allegation that the administration was planning to arrest and detain Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Senate President and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, on trumped-up charges.
The party nonetheless maintained that the two principal officers should have everything to fear if they have in any way breached public trust and sidestepped the law, vowing that nobody would escape the long arm of the law, no matter how highly placed.
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, at the weekend, claimed it had uncovered a fresh plot by the APC administration to arrest and put the two Senate principal officers out of circulation as a prelude to their impeachment.
But APC said the’ bogus claim’ was in continuation of the “lame opposition strategy” of raising false, baseless alarm and frivolous accusations.
Hon. Yekini Nabena, Acting National Publicity Secretary of APC, in a statement, while dismissing the accusation, said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to the rule of law.
The statement read in part: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in its latest round of bogus claims has alleged that the Federal Government plans to arrest the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
“We had thought that by now, the PDP would be tired of its lame opposition strategy of false alarms, baseless and frivolous accusations.
“The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has repeatedly demonstrated its strict adherence to the rule of law. Therefore, the alleged plan to arrest or harass the mentioned leaders is hogwash and baseless.
“Clear conscience fears no accusation. Why are PDP leaders afraid of arrest if their conscience is clear? All law-abiding citizens or resident of the country have nothing to fear about the arrest.
“However, nobody no matter how highly placed will escape the full wrath of the law if he or she runs afoul of our laws.
“If the Senate President and the tree-climbing Senator are facing criminal charges in our law courts and his Deputy has explanations to make to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the acquisition of numerous properties in Nigeria and abroad through questionable sources, the President Buhari-led APC administration has nothing to do with them.
“The laws of the country are only being applied and they should answer for their acts of infamy.
In a related development, the party has described weekend’s victories in national assembly bye-elections for the Katsina North; Bauchi South Senatorial seats and the Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency House of Representatives as a powerful demonstration of the confidence and trust of the people in the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
“While we thank the electorate for coming out en masse to vote for our candidates in the weekend bye-elections, we also congratulate our flagbearers, Hon. Ahmed Babba-Kaita (Katsina); Hon. Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi) and Haruna Isa (Kogi) on their victories,” the party said.
