By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
Apparently worried by the unhealthy exchanges between the Senate and the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), some civil society organisations have cautioned against any move to discredit President Muhammed Buhari and his cabinet ahead of the 2019 general election.
The group which addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja, said the call was a hidden conspiracy to blackmail and discredit the SGF, Babachir Lawal.
Addressing journalists in Abuja at the weekend, the national president of the association, Ishaku Nokthreatened to mobilise 10,000 members in Abuja to occupy the National Assembly should the Senate fail to apologise and rescind the demand for the immediate resignation of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, David Lawal Babachir.
He argued that the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly lacks the moral rectitude to demand Babachir’s resignation.
According to the group, “We perceive that the call for the resignation of the SGF is designed to criminalise the affairs of the executive to create distraction for the leadership of the executive and force a negative charge in the executive.
“The conduct of the senate is perceived by the public as a hidden conspiracy to blackmail and discredit President Buhari and his cabinet ahead of the 2019 general election.
“We request the senate to sanitize its house because none of their investigations will be taken serious by the public when its leadership are facing trial. The senate has no moral justification to call for the resignation of the SGF without giving him a fair hearing because the allegations lack merit.
“The assertions of the senate against the SGF and other appointees of the executive is perceived to be a fight back to the fight against corruption as it has been said when you fight corruption, corruption must fight back.
“As concerned citizens and protectors of patriotic Nigerians, we shall not allow any of iconic leaders image to be dragged to the mud because certain cabal are against them,” they warned.
