President of the Senate, Bukola
Saraki, on Thursday reiterated the resolve and commitment of the 8th Senate and
the National Assembly, to continue to protect and defend the nation’s
democracy.
Saraki, according to a statement
by his Chief Press Secretary, Sanni Onogu, in Abuja, gave this indication while
addressing the Chairmen and leaders of 45 registered political parties who paid
him a solidarity visit at the National Assembly.
He told the party leaders, led by
the National Chairman of the Democratic United Party (DUP), Chief Perry Okpara,
that as direct representatives of the people, lawmakers will continue to play
their role to ensure that the rule of law is followed and that human rights are
respected in the country.
Okpara had earlier told the
Senate President that the visit was to show their solidarity with the
leadership of the National Assembly for standing up in defence of democracy in
the face of the recent siege to the complex by operatives of the Department of
State Services (DSS).
Saraki said: “I thank you for taking
out time to be with us here today. Thank you for the solidarity message and we
truly appreciate it as it encourages us to further do what we are doing to
defend democracy in our great country.
“The big thank you goes to all
Nigerians that stood with us and have come to support us here in the National
Assembly because in supporting us, you are supporting our democracy.
“We will continue to defend it.
We will continue to ensure that there is respect for the rule of law and that
due process is followed across the country,” he stated.
The Senate President further
expressed optimism that the perpetrators of the recent siege to the National
Assembly have learnt their lesson from the wide condemnation that has continued
to trail the anti-democratic action.
He said: “It is our hope that
those anti-democratic forces have leant their lesson in the last few days, to
listen to the voice of Nigerians – men, women, boys and girls – all across the
country, who stood firmly to reject their unconstitutional and anti-democratic
action.
“Their voice is loud and clear. I
believe we must respect it. We must respect those that have made sacrifices for
us to be here.
“Some have paid the ultimate
price and we must respect that and ensure that Nigeria, as a country, is a
shinning example for other democratic nations to emulate. We must not allow
anything that will tarnish the image of this country and the democracy we have
worked so hard to birth and sustain,” he stated.
Earlier, the leader of
delegation, Chief Okpara, unequivocally condemned the DSS siege to the National
Assembly and declared that as national leaders of political parties in the
country, “we cannot sit by and watch our country slide into the Hobbesian state
of anarchy, where life has become short, brutish and lawless.”
“We unequivocally condemn the use
of agencies of state – Nigeria Police, DSS, EFCC – to clampdown on the opposition
and stifle democracy as demonstrated in the siege on the residences of the
presiding officers of the National Assembly, the siege on the National
Assembly, and the siege on the Benue State House of Assembly,” Okpara stated.
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