DETAILS emerged at the weekend that the invasion of the Senate on Wednesday April 18, was targeted at the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

It has also been revealed that the coup failed because a number of Senators got wind of the dastardly act early that morning.

Sources in the Senate told Sunday Tribune on Saturday, that the senators, who got wind of the development were also instrumental in the decision of the leadership of the Senate not to forcefully evict Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who attended the Wednesday sitting, despite his 90 days suspension.

Sunday Tribune was told the forces bent on seeing the exit of Senate President Saraki were worried he was preparing to contest the 2019 election against President Muhammadu Buhari.

The fear, according to sources, was that Saraki and some leaders of the party were believed to be planning to challenge the president for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was gathered that those who backed the action against the Senate were of the view that a staged crisis could lead to the emergence of a new leadership in the Senate, which would ensure Saraki was out of the equation.

Investigations also revealed that the plot failed as a result of the failure of the proponents to take into consideration the resolve of the Senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stay put in the chamber also frustrated the invasion.

The disclosure came on the heels of the declaration by stakeholders under the aegis of the North-Central Stakeholders Forum for Good Governance, which declared that the invasion of the Senate was targeted at the Senate President.

The stakeholders, in a statement signed by Adamu Aliyu, national chairman and Paul Nsong, national secretary of the group, said the North-Central region was becoming worried about the emerging ‘use-and-dump’ pattern in the polity.

The group of stakeholders said: “We the entire members of the above named group in the North-Central states of Nigeria hereby  condemn in an unequivocal manner, the assault and discretion of the hallowed chambers of the Nigerian Senate by hired hoodlums, that resulted in the stealing of the mace, the symbol of authority of the Senate.

“We equally know that the dramatis personae in this despicable act did not act alone, as information available to us shows a complicity with senior government officials in the executive arm of government.

“All these infantile drama championed by a suspended Senator, Ovie Omo-Agege, was  in the bid to discredit the Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the entire leadership of the Senate, so as to make the 8th Senate chaotic and ungovernable.”

The group also said after failing severally to hurt Saraki, those who are opposed to his leadership have now perfected other plans aimed at discrediting his chamber.

The stakeholders said: “We say without let or hindrance that this plot is all about Dr Saraki and is aimed to discredit his leadership of the Senate and, indeed, his chairmanship of the National Assembly  by giving a him  à bad name and  presenting him before the public with a bad odium.

“We are equally aware of how all anti-corruption agencies in the country have been schemed towards intimidating and harassing some selected senators of the 8th Senate, all in the bid to make them abandon the Senate President.

“Today, the anti-graft agencies have commenced  threats of intimidation, threats of detention, and declaration of being wanted because of these senators’ unalloyed support and loyalty to Dr Saraki.

• The invasion of the Senate

“It is common knowledge that Senator Aliyu Wamako, a former governor of Sokoto State and Senator Rabiu Kwankwanso, a former governor of Kano State, and another senator from the South-South are under  threat by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), because of their support for Dr Saraki-led Senate.

“We are not unmindful of the humiliation meted against Dr Saraki at the Code of Conduct Tribunal,  all in the bid to discredit, intimidate him  and eventual isolate him and have his followers abandon and, consequently,  leave him in the cold.

“We are, indeed, disturbed that  all these  are  happening now as a prelude to the 2019 general elections. Then, what will 2019 look like? We are worried about what will happen during the election year itself .

“Sometime between 2013 and 2014, preceding the election year in 2015, the then ruling party PDP was accused of impunity, lawlessness, oppression and lack of respect for due process and the rule of law.”

The statement further  read: “Ironically, the same script is been played now, if not even worse.

“In view of all these, we the North-Central Stakeholders Forum for Good Governance do hereby declare our total unalloyed  support for Saraki and the senators, as well as to urge them to keep faith with their support for our leader, Dr Saraki because as elected representatives of the people, no one can remove them.

“We further wish to state that the North-Central and Nigerians are watching with keen interest these sordid developments in our national politics and, therefore, pledge to walk, to work, to fly or sink with Saraki, come rain and sunshine.

“As a result of all these, we warn that  this administration should tread softly as Nigerians can no longer be used and dumped again.

“We are also conscious of the fact that votes of the North-Central Zone shall no longer be taken for granted as we are very decisive and can do it again,” the group threatened.

It has also been revealed that the planned attack on the Senate might have been  coordinated from Lagos, with some of the senators reached to effect leadership change.

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