Senate Invasion: Dogara warns against formation of support groups in NASS
Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, has warned lawmakers against forming support groups in the parliament for public officers, describing it as violation of their oath of office.
Dogara said this at plenary on Tuesday, while reacting to the April 18 attack at the Senate during which thugs suspected to have been sponsored by a suspended senator made away with the mace.
He also declared that the action of the perpetrators of the act was an attack on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, not only the National Assembly.
He said there was nowhere in the world where lawmakers formed ‘clubs’ to drum up support for public officers in other arms of government, maintaining that it amounted to violation of their oath of office.
The speaker warned that the House leadership would not tolerate any act of terrorism from any member.
According to him, there is no club anywhere in the world dedicated to defending or protecting someone’s interest.
“So, when lawmakers, having groups to support public officers, we are violating the very essence of the mandate we have been given by the people.
“This is not a place for anarchist, monsters or terrorists.
“We can’t allow anyone to terrorise this parliament. We are democrats and anybody that calls himself a democrat can’t be defended by thugs; a democrat is defended by the law,” he said.
To lawmakers who belong to support groups, Dogara said “this slant of psychophancy operating in the National Assembly, I have a message for them.
“We were attacked in the 7th Assembly and those who collaborated with outsiders to attack us, where are they today?
“There is need for us to add our voice so that the public will know where we stand.
“First of all, I have listened to debates on the social media on the attack on the senate and even enlightened people have tried to justify the morality of the invasion of the chambers.
“There is no amount of anger that would make a member of National Assembly to procure the services of thugs to come and carry out acts of treason on the parliament.
“And, if this can happen here, nothing stops them from invading the Supreme Court, because this place is more secured than the court.
“So, any attack on the National Assembly is attack on Buhari; any attack on the judiciary is an attack on Buhari and any attack on the executive is an attack on Buhari’s government,” he said.
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