The Senate has urged the former interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bisi Akande to thoroughly corss-check ‘his facts’ before blurting out words.
Akande had described the claim that the 2016 budget was missing from the Senate, as an indication of the indiscipline that produced its leadership.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesman, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate informed Akande that “at no time did the Senate say the 2016 budget was missing”.
“We have said it several times that the budget was not missing. That two versions of the details of the budget exist and this is no longer in doubt as the Presidency has equally admitted this.
“We expect a man of Akande’s calibre to cross-check his facts and take us up on our words. That he decided to ignore the facts and make comments on speculations is regrettable. He is a man who had served in government. He is a leader of the party with the majority in the Senate and he has several channels of cross-checking facts as against speculations.”
“Chief Akande is still sulking after his group’s failed attempt to impose certain individuals as the leaders of the Senate last year. So, he was in a hurry to condemn the leadership. We want him to know that the leadership of the Senate can only emerge through the provisions of the constitution and the standing rules of the institution. As a democrat, Akande should know that once the majority has elected the leadership, all parties to the contest ought to accept the decision.
“To continue belly-aching and working to undermine the institution because of the failure to get one’s choice candidates elected cast doubts on his democratic credentials. It appears he is only a democrat when he has his way. We advise him to move on and let us help the legislative institution to focus on its agenda to serve the people in line with the much needed change that President Muhammadu Buhari promised the nation.”
