Fresh crisis hits Senate over Lamorde’s probe

EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Lamorde

A new wave of crisis yesterday enveloped the Senate as senators in the Ahmad Lawan’s camp accused the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, of perpetrating illegality in the probe of the chairman of the Economic

and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde.
The probe of the EFCC boss reignited the rivalry between senators in the Lawan’s camp and those in the camp of Saraki.
Before yesterday’s fight erupted, the two camps had mellowed down on their differences.
Senator Lawan was the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Senate Presidency but Saraki joined forces with senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to clinch the position on June 9 when the National Assembly was inaugurated.
While the senators in the Saraki camp insisted on the probe, those in Lawan’s camp said the probe was illegal and unconstitutional.
Some observers see the current probe as a vendetta by Saraki whose wife was invited by the EFCC weeks ago over alleged financial scam while her husband was Governor of Kwara State.
Few minutes after the Saraki camp commenced the hearing of a petition written against Lamorde by Dr. George Uboh, the Chief Executive Officer, Panic Alert Security Systems (PASS), the Lawan camp struck by issuing a statement against it.
The hearing that saw the petitioner defending his allegation against Lamorde was attended by eight senators, including Senator Samuel Anyanwu who chairs the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Petitions.
The Unity Forum in a statement jointly signed by Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senator George Akume , Senator Abu Ibrahim and Senator Barnabas Gemade described the probe of Lamorde as illegal and a breach of the Senate Standing Rules.