President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, with Chairmen and leaders of political parties, during a solidarity visit by the group in Abuja yesterday
President of the
Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Thursday reiterated
the resolve and commitment of the 8th Senate and indeed the National
Assembly, to continue to protect and defend the nation’s fledgling
democracy.
Saraki,
according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu,
in Abuja, gave this indication while addressing the Chairmen and
leaders of 45 registered political parties who paid him a solidarity
visit at the National Assembly.
He
told the party leaders, led by the National Chairman of the
Democratic United Party (DUP), Chief Perry Okpara, that as direct
representatives of the people, lawmakers will continue to play their
role to ensure that the rule of law is followed and that human rights
are respected in the country.
Okpara
had earlier told the President of the Senate that the visit was to
show their solidarity with the leadership of the National Assembly
for standing up in defence of democracy in the face of the recent
siege in the complex by operatives of the Department of State
Services (DSS).
Saraki
said: “I thank you for taking out time to be with us here today.
Thank you for the solidarity message and we truly appreciate it as it
encourages us to further do what we are doing to defend democracy in
our great country.
“The
big thank you goes to all Nigerians that stood with us and have come
to support us here in the National Assembly because in
supporting us, you are supporting our democracy.
“We
will continue to defend it. We will continue to ensure that there is
respect for the rule of law and that due process is followed across
the country,” he stated.
He
further expressed optimism that the perpetrators of the recent siege
on the National Assembly have learnt their lesson from the wide
condemnation that has continued to trail the anti-democratic action.
He
said: “It is our hope that those anti-democratic forces have leant
their lesson in the last few days, to listen to the voice of
Nigerians - men, women, boys and girls - all across the country, who
stood firmly to reject their unconstitutional and anti-democratic
action.
“Their
voice is loud and clear. I believe we must respect it. We must
respect those that have made sacrifices for us to be here.
“Some have
paid the ultimate price and we must respect that and ensure that
Nigeria, as a country, is a shinning example for other
democratic nations to emulate. We must not allow anything that will
tarnish the image of this country and the democracy we have worked so
hard to birth and sustain,” he stated.
Earlier, the leader
of delegation, Chief Okpara, unequivocally condemned the DSS
siege on the National Assembly and declared that as national leaders
of political parties in the country, “we cannot sit by and watch
our country slide into the Hobbesian state of anarchy, where life has
become short, brutish and lawless.”
“We
unequivocally condemn the use of agencies of state - Nigeria Police,
DSS, EFCC - to clampdown on the opposition and stifle democracy as
demonstrated in the siege on the residences of the presiding officers
of the National Assembly, the siege on the National Assembly, and the
siege on the Benue State House of Assembly,” Okpara stated.
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