Section 2(3) of the EFCC Act 2004 says: “The Chairman and members of the Commission (EFCC) other than ex-officio members shall be appointed by the President and the appointment shall be subject to CONFIRMATION of the Senate.
And that is the crux of today’s matter on the floor of the senate!
I watched it live on television.
Make no mistake, all that happened today was because Senate rejected the confirmation of the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo’s nominee over his comment on the acting chairman of the EFCC, Magu that he does not need the Senate’s confirmation!
Osinbajo said that Magu can be EFCC Chairman even if the Senate rejects him, which irked the Senators.
What happened thereafter with the senate wanting to impeach Osinbajo or to declare the Senate president, Bukola Saraki as the acting president according to the constitution for a period of three months, had nothing to do with Saraki. Rather, it took a Bukola Saraki to prevent a motion to that effect from being debated and a vote deciding.
If Saraki had allowed a vote on that motion, he would have become the acting president as we speak.
And nothing would have happened!
When I read people mostly living abroad saying “they will have been stoned”, I wonder if they have a standing stoning army to stone kidnappers and Ikorodu urchins ready to be transported to Abuja to stone the senators.
The constitution would have backed the senators and the situation would just have become normal after a while. An election will just have to be conducted after a period of three months, which would eventually be in the North’s favour.
So, all thanks to Bukola Saraki for saving this day!
Gboyega Adejumo writes from Lagos
