Nwosu: We’re Not Under Dictatorship – Sen Abaribe Tells DSP Jibrin

The Senate, on Wednesday, had a chaotic session as Senator Enyinaya Abaribe clashed with Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin.

Naijaonpoint reports that Senator Abaribe presented a motion on immortalizing former National Electoral Commission (NEC) Chairman, Humphrey Nwosu.

The motion was co-sponsored by Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Abba Moro, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Okey Ezea, Senator Onyekachi Nwaebonyi and others.

The motion was, however, rejected by Jibrin who presided over the day’s plenary, stating that it did not follow the right process.

Reacting, Abaribe said even if the motion did not follow the day’s Order paper, it should be looked into, stating that the Senate was not under a dictatorship.

“Even if the Senate leader says it doesn’t follow, by the fact that a Senator wants to make a personal explanation, you must give that Senator a chance to make that personal explanation. We are not under a dictatorship Mr President,” he said.

In response the Deputy Senate President explained that Abaribe had met him in the morning about the motion he would move, which he accepted and it was entered; but he went ahead to move a motion using another Order that was not listed for the day’s plenary.

His words: “When I came this morning you approached me, in respect of your desire to move this motion under Orders 40 and 51. You never told me you were bringing it under 42. And when it came under 41 and 51, it was defeated, now you changed your mind to bring it under Order 42, we respect you very well, it was not discussed.

“When the Senate leader came in, I called him, I told him Senator Abaribe is bringing a motion under Order 41 and 51, and we agreed. We normally have to consult with the leadership. We agreed that it was going to be brought forward. But Leader did I tell he was going to bring a motion under Order 42? So you didn’t approach me, you didn’t tell me and I just want to be transparent. You didn’t tell me, if you had told me there is no way I would stop you. It is a process. You had told you would bring your motion under Order 41, we obliged you.”

The Abia State Senator maintained that a motion for the immortalization of Nwosu ought to be embraced by the Senate and not made controversial.

“Mr President I don’t know what is controversial on immortalizing Humphrey Nwosu,” he added.