Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu is seeking the intervention of the United Nations, United States’ Congress, United Kingdom, European Union Parliament and foreign missions in what he described as an attempt to rubbish the National Assembly.
Ekweremadu wrote the international community with regards to his arraignment with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and two others for alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015.
He alleged that a powerful institution as the National Assembly was being ridiculed and rubbished by President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
In the letter entitled, “Re: Trumped Up Charges Against the Presiding Officers of the 8th Senate: Nigerian Democracy in grave danger,” Ekweremadu claimed that their trial was an attempt to truncate Nigeria’s democracy and silence him as the leader and highest ranking member of the opposition party.
He attached copies of the court summons, and other relevant documents to the letter, asking the international community to decide whether or not the trial was worth it, justifiable or one borne out of political vendetta.
He also pointed out that neither his name nor that of Saraki featured in the petition by aggrieved members of the Senate Unity Forum, or during the investigation of the petition by the police, wondering how the government generated their names for the trial since there was no direct link to them in the investigation.
Ekweremadu stated that the principle of fair hearing was not adhered to as the police never sought his input or that of the Senate president during the course of the investigation.
The Deputy Senate president reminded the international community that an attempt had been made on his life in November 2015, and the security agencies did nothing about it even though it was duly reported.
Meanwhile, the Presidency in reaction to the letter, said it was needless arguing with the Deputy Senate President, even as the office of the Attorney General of the Federation said it would not comment on the matter since it was already in court.