APC plots violent takeover of NASS leadership, CUPP alleges

…As PDP alerts of moves to bribe senators

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

The Coalition of United Political Parties ( CUPP), on Sunday, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has perfected plans to stage a coup in the National Assembly by replacing current leaders with persons loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari. Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, its Publicity Secretary, Ikenga Ugochinyere said the Coalition uncovered plots to unseat both Senate and House of Representatives leadership at the resumption on Tuesday. The CUPP further alleged that there is a plan to arrest Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Senator Dino Melaye. He said the ruling party has perfected plans to announce factional leadership of the parliament by proposing to install Sen. Ahmed Lawan, Hope Uzodinma, Godswill Akpabio as factional Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Senate Leader respectively. It further alleged that part of the thick plot was to install Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Abdulmimin Jibrin as factional Speaker and Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives. While the Coalition said the Presidency has given a nod to the he plan, it also fingered Senators Ali Ndume, Ovie Omo Agege, George Akume, Hope Uzodinma and Abdullahi Adamu as arrow heads of the plot. Ugochinyere said part of the plan was to prevent Saraki, Ekweremadu, Dogara, Lasun Yusuf from addressing the parliament on Tuesday. The CUPP called on Nigerians to rise up and be vigilant to defend the nation’ democracy before it is too late. “The APC is ready to do whatever it takes to destroy the very fulcrum of our constitutional democracy on Tuesday and has vowed it is tomorrow or never. The judicial coup which they believed was supposed to be more difficult went very easily beyond their imagination hence the need to complete the takeover of the National Assembly immediately so that the distraction of the election campaigns will be put to use. They have also resolved that the government will make some big positive announcements tomorrow being Monday, 28th January so as to deflect the minds of Nigerians. Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Chibuike Amechi and Babatunde Fashola have been saddled with the responsibility of choosing the issue for announcement by the government. “The plot will see the criminal announcement of Sen. Ahmmed Lawan as the Senate President, Sen. Hope Uzodimma as the Deputy Senate President and Sen. Godswill Akpabio as the Senate Leader. While in the House of Representatives, Hon Gbajabiamila will be announced as the Speaker of the House and Hon Abdulmimin Jibril will be announced as the Deputy Speaker. The decision on who will be the House leader will be resolved by the trio of Bola Tinubu, Adams Oshiomhole and Sen. Gorge Akume. “The arrowheads of this treasonable plot in the National Assembly include Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, Ali Ndume, George Akume and Kabiru Gaya. While the members of the House who are part of this plot to destroy democracy include Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Hon. Abdulmimin Jubril and Hon. Agbonayima. “To ensure the plot goes successfully, the Federal Government has mapped out the sum of $70, 000 for each Senator and $40, 000 for each House member for what it called welfare since majority of them will be compelled to be in town suddenly. The money for the bribes have already been released to Senator Lawan and Hon. Gbajabiamila for onward distribution to their members as they return. The money amounting to $15 million ($8 million for the House and $7 million for the Senate) was sourced from NNPC, CBN, NDDC, NPA, NIMASA, a commercial bank and a company the owner of whom is a member of the cabal,” the CUPP alleged. Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted the nation of moves by certain agents of the Presidency to bribe Senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) extraction to protect President Buhari from imminent parliamentary sanctions for constitutional breaches and gross misconduct. Intelligence available to the PDP showed that this is the reason the jittery Presidency had summoned all APC senators to the Presidential Villa to a clandestine meeting on Monday night, ahead of the Senate’s resumption on Tuesday. PDP National Publicity Secretary and Director of Media & Publicity of the party’s Presidential campaign organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, said this in a statement on Sunday night. He said the party had been informed of how the Buhari Presidency has been unsettled following national and international outcry over his constitutional breaches, particularly the assault on the judiciary in his attempt to forcefully remove the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onnoghen and impose a pliable CJN to do his bidding. He said: “President Buhari is not only apprehensive that the Senate might sanction him for violating the constitution and usurping its statutory duties regarding the handling of issues related to a CJN, the parliament might also open an inquest into how President Buhari, who parades as Mr. Integrity, allegedly procured an Order from the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) upon which he announced the illegal suspension of the CJN. “There are reports that the said order is suspicious and subject to investigation, being not argued or issued in the open court; following which a distressed Buhari Presidency now seeks to corrupt and undermine the Senate. “The PDP has been made aware of how money has been moved from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to bribe the APC senators, as well as how each APC senator has been offered huge sums of money in foreign currency to engage in heckling during the session, particularly when the matter is raised. “However, the PDP wants the APC senators to note that the issue at hand is not partisan; it is not even about Justice Walter Onnoghen, but about nationhood, as well as the protection of our democracy and constitution from despotism. “The Buhari Presidency is bent on corrupting our democratic institutions but Nigerians are watching the action of our lawmakers at this critical time,” the party said.