There was drama in the
Senate yesterday as Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi West), technicallydefected to
the Peoples Democratic Party during plenary, though without submitting a formal
letter to that effect.
This was as he alleged
that the Nigerian Police made two failed attempts to kill him while he was in
their custody after being arrested for prosecution over alleged arms peddling
and sponsorship of banditry in Kogi State.
Melaye, while
appearing in plenary for the first time since April 24, when he was arrested by
the Police, requested the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, to direct
the Chamber Sergeant-At-Arms, to provide him a comfortable seat at the PDP Wing
in the Chamber, where he would be sitting till further notice.
The lawmaker said that
his request was informed by the circumstance of his present state of
health, pointing out that he was not comfortable to continue to sit at the All
Progressives Congress (APC) Wing, indicating that relocating to the PDP sitting
area would facilitate his quick recovery.
Dino, who walked into
the Chamber with a walking stick and adorning neck brace, however, did not
categorically say that he was defecting to the opposition party as he did not
submit any formal letter as required by law.
The lawmaker, who took
time to express his deep appreciation to the Senate, the House of
Representatives, his constituents and other Nigerians for standing
with him during his travails, particularly showered encomia on the Kogi State
and the national leadership of PDP for defending him while he was travailing in
police custody.
He also alleged that
the Nigerian Police made two attempts to kill him during the period he was in
their custody, claiming that the Police wanted to kill him first through
harmful substances and second, through injection, but noted that God protected
him in all the attempts.
Melaye said that his travails notwithstanding, he would continue to speak the truth and fight for the common man in the society.
Melaye said that his travails notwithstanding, he would continue to speak the truth and fight for the common man in the society.
His words: “I want to
say that I am alive because God protected me. I want to say, Mr.
President, that the Nigeria Police tried to kill me twice. One, through the
process of a chemical substance and a second time through an injection. They
actually came with an injection to inject me, but God intervened and to Him
alone be the glory for ever and ever.
“I want to assure
Nigerians that I will always stand by the truth and there is no amount ofintimidation,
harassment, name calling or blackmail that will deter me from
speaking the truth.”
Requesting to relocate
to the PDP camp in the Chamber, he said: “I have a special request to ask you
Mr President that because of the trauma I went through and I’m still going
through, I want to seek your indulgence to call on Sergeant-At- Arms to look for
a comfortable seat for me on this side of the divide (opposition side of the
chamber) because I am no longer comfortable sitting here (APC side).
“I want to ask Mr
President that you asked the Sergeant-at-Arms to look for a comfortable seat
for me and before you do that through the help of my walking stick, I will take
a comfortable seat close to Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni (Plateau South) or former
Senate President, David Mark. I want to thank you very much and, like I will
always say, no retreat, no surrender.”
Immediately Melaye
finished his submissions, some APC members fought desperately to stop the
senator from having his request granted, which Saraki ignored and approved his
relocation.
For instance, the
Leader of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, raised point of Order 56(3),
saying: “We don’t have choices when it comes to places to sit in the chamber
because we are elected. Those who elected us chose for us where to sit and,
therefore, the seat that will now be given to Senator Dino has to be properly
set. If the seat has any problem, we can find another seat for him, including
my seat. So, Mr President, I want to urge that our Chief Whip goes and brings
back Senator Dino to his seat.”
But the Deputy
President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, raised a constitutional point of order
(sections 4, 5 and 6) and asked the Senate to disregard the Senate Leader’s
argument.
According him,
the constitution provides for freedom of movement, noting that his
present seat with PDP senators would now afford him easy movement.
“If he is traumatised
outside, he cannot be traumatised here,” he said
New Telegraph
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