APC investigating Senate forgery allegation, says Odigie-Oyegun

The All Progressives Con­gress (APC) yesterday disclosed that it was in­vestigating the allegation of forg­ing and distortion of the Sen­ate Standing Rules by the Upper House prior to the election of its current principal officers.

The Presidency had alleged­ly filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the Sen­ate President Bukola Saraki, the Deputy Senate President Ike Ek­weremadu and three others, al­leging that the Senate Standing Rules 2015 were distorted prior to their election last year.

The APC National Chair­man, Chief John Odigie-Oye­gun stated that the party would investigate the Senate’s allega­tion against the Presidency and the party.

The Senate had on Sunday claimed that the Presidency and some leaders of the APC were plotting to destabilise the Upper Chamber.

According to a statement by the Chairman, Senate Commit­tee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the attempt to arraign Saraki, Ekwer­emadu, former Clerk of the Na­tional Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and his Deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi in court for forgery, was a plot to destabilise the leadership of the Senate.

Odigie-Oyegun, however, insisted that the allegation of for­gery should also be considered very important, stressing that Ni­gerians must begin to do things the proper way, as the ruling par­ty is on target to return decency in public affairs.

Asked to comment on the Senate’s allegation, Oyegun said: “At this stage I don’t think there is anything to say. In fact, every­thing is still a guess work. Nobody has said yes nor have they been arrested nor asked to make state­ments or whatever.

“As a party, we do not think it is part of our business to interfere on judicial matters of this nature. We will just wait and see as we are even making investigation to be sure that is the situation. People are making that allegation based on their relationship with the par­ty, the Presidency and the Senate,” he said.