The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Governor Udom Emmanuel is alleged to have a few hours ago, stormed the State Assembly complex with hundreds of his supporters to disrupts the illegal sitting of five members of the allegedly sacked members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who were about to move for the impeachment of the Governor, even though they are not up to the number required by law to move such motion.
The five members whose seats were declared vacant after they decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC, had earlier in the day, with the Police allegedly aiding some thugs to invade the State Assembly, where they where making moves to start impeachment proceedings before the arrival of the Governor with his supporters, as the five Members of the Akwa State Assembly ran for dear life..
The crisis at the Akwa Ibom Assembly started last week, and has some how, continued this week. Also, the Nigerian Senate while reacting to the matter, ordered an immediate end to the alleged siege on the Akwa Ibom State Assembly by the Nigerian Police, resolving that they should vacate the premises and not prevent the legislators to have access to the chambers.
Senate resolves to:
Ask that the police vacate the premises and not prevent the legislators to have access to the chambers.
The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki giving his final note about the resolution, described the matter as:
This is a very serious matter and I think it is a matter that is non-partisan. It is an action that is against the law that exists. Members of the parliament should have access.”
Police can provide law and order without necessarily preventing members of parliament to have access. The police have the responsibility to maintain law and order but at the same time, parliamentarians must have access to chambers. We cannot allow this to happen now or in the future.
A situation where the police can seal the chambers for more than 24 hours, is not something we should be a part of and not something we should support — irrespective of whoever is involved, I think we should stand for prosperity on the right side of history.
The police should vacate but still provide the necessary security.”
The parliamentarians should still have access to the chambers there, or in any part of the country where we have a parliament.”