By Tayo Alabi
Concerned stakeholders from Cross River State have raised alarm over alleged pressure on the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan by the state government to scuttle the planned swearing in of Hon. Jarigbe Agom as duly elected senator for Cross River north.
The group in a chat with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday alleged, last minute moves by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River to armtwist the leadership of the Senate to ignore the recent judgment of the Supreme court which recognised Hon. Jarigbe as the PDP candidate for the December 5th bye election for Cross Rivers North.
The Governor was alleged to have arrived Abuja last minute, yesterday and reportedly met with a powerful political associate of the Senate president for preliminary talks on Cross River north Senate Seat.
Leader of the group James Ikem told newsmen that the Governor may have met with proxies of the Senate president earlier to further drum support for Senator Stephen Odey whose stay in the Senate has since been nullified by the apex court.
“I speak on behalf of many democrats in the state, we are worried over the turn of events in the case of Cross Rivers north and we want the Senate president to act now and fast “Stephen Odey whose Certificate of Return has been nullified, is still being allowed to take part in Plenary. It’s an act that desecrates the sanctity of the Senate Chamber”.
“The fresh offensive is coming barely 48 hours after the Governor was reported to have threatened to dump PDP over his neglect”.
But the group claimed the Governor may have reached out to the Senate in his desperate bid to stop the swearing in of Hon.Jarigbe to take his seat in the red chamber.
According to him “Governor Ayade hurriedly caught a flight to Abuja yesterday, after he received a call, asking him to get to Abuja, immediately. His trip to Abuja is to afford him the opportunity of seeing the Senate President or through proxies, reach out to him, to stop the Swearing In of Hon Jarigbe Agom, as Senator for Cross River North. He got a call and was informed of the pressure on the Senate President to do the right thing. He boasted in Calabar before his departure, that he was going to Abuja to stop the Swearing In, with everything available to him.
“Gov Ayade should know that the Treasury of Cross Ricer State, cannot buy an Institution, such as the National Assembly. Sen Ahmed Lawan should avoid Ayade and his proxies. The Rule of Law should prevail. The Senate President should act on the Legal Advice by the Legal Department of the National Assembly and the recommendations of the Clerk of the National Assembly. The Judgment of the Supreme Court is final. Our Institutions should not be desecrated” Ikem said.
