Four months to the end of the Eight Senate, Air vice Marshal Isaac Mohammed Alfa (rtd) Wednesday asked Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to inaugurate him as the Senator representing Kogi East in accordance with several court orders.
Alfa accused Saraki of choosing and picking which court orders to obey and the ones to disobey depending on who is involved.
The former Chief of Air Staff spoke in Abuja on the alleged refusal of Saraki to swear him as the Senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District despite over six court rulings in his favour.
He noted that the case between him and Senator Atai Aidoko over the rightful occupant of Kogi East Senate seat has gone through 31 different Judges who “are all aware of the Senate President’s deliberate refusal to swear me in.”
He said it appears that Saraki was determined to keep Aidoko in the Senate in disobedience to express court directive.
Alfa said that he was baffled about “Saraki’s serial disobedience of court orders even as he is the greatest beneficiary of court reliefs per his Code of Conduct assets declaration case.”
He said, “I am convinced that this has become necessary to let the whole world know the embarrassing and selective obedience and disobedience of court orders in the National Assembly by the Senate President and the Clerk of the National Assembly.
“The Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki decides which court orders to obey and which to disobey depending on who is involved.
“In my case in particular, the Federal High Court ordered on the 13th day of June, 2018 that I should be sworn in as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria representing Kogi East Senatorial District.
“This order of the Federal High Court was affirmed by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, yet the leadership of the National Assembly ignored the various orders of Court.
“I have not been able to obtain from Dr Saraki the actual reason behind his determination to keep me out of the Senate at all cost, although people have advanced several reasons; from his determination to install his stooge as the next Governor of Kogi State with Senator Atai Aidoko as deputy, his hatred for Igala people of Kogi State for a perceived wrong they might have done to his father to his personal hatred for the ex-Military, with me as a very high symbol, not minding the fact that I am in the same party with him.
“This case has gone through 31 different Judges who are all aware of the Senate President’s deliberate refusal to swear me in.
“The question that should bother every Nigerian is; If the Senate President still refuses to immediately swear me in and keeps Senator Aidoko in the Senate (as Senator Aidoko has boasted despite the Supreme Court judgement), what image is he projecting of the Senate to the whole world?
“That the Senate refuses to obey the judgment of the apex court of the land?
“Under such circumstance, does the Senate have any justification to fault the Executive?
“The whole World wonders at Dr Saraki’s serial disobedience of court orders even as Dr Saraki is the greatest beneficiary of court reliefs per his Code of Conduct assets declaration case.
“More worrisome is the fact that Dr Saraki is the Chief Law Enacting Officer of this Country. This is the same Dr Saraki who daily lambasts the Government’s high handedness, disobedience or selective obedience of court orders.
“I am convinced that a person occupying such sensitive position as the Senate Presidency should not allow his personal circumstances to expose him to allegation of double standard and abuse of office,”
Alfa continued “Out of the eight judgements in this case, I have won seven, including the last six, both at the High Court, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court with the only Court of Appeal judgment in favour of Senator Aidoko nullified by the same Court of Appeal.
“All the judgments above were served on the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and Alhaji Sani Omolori, the Clerk of the National Assembly. Dr Saraki refused to obey the orders contained in the judgments in my favour.
“Without any ambiguity, the situation as it stands today is very clear: Supreme Court ordered the Federal High Court to determine who is the Senator representing Kogi East.
“High Court declared Air Marshal Alfa as the winner in the case and the rightful occupant of the Seat. (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1073/2014) Senator Aidoko appealed to the Court of Appeal against the judgment of the High Court.
“Court of Appeal struck out Sen. Aidoko’s appeal and upheld the judgment of the High Court in favour of Senator Isaac Alfa, maintaining that the judgement of the High Court in favour of Air Marshal Alfa is subsisting and valid. (Appeal No.CA/A/610/201 dated 24th October 2018)”
Alfa, who displayed the certificate of return as member of the Senate issued to him by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dated 21st June, 2018 wondered “what else Saraki wants to swear me in.”
NATION
