- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian lawmaker, Senator Seriake Dickson, has slammed Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, over alleged attempt to censor his freedom of expression.
The former Bayelsa State governor had at yesterday plenary session engaged the word exchange with the Senate President who turned down his call for observation.
As captured in a now viral post on X, Akpabio had ordered Dickson to sit and turn off his mic as he slammed the Bayelsa lawmaker over his remark in an interview on Arise TV.
The Senate President held that the Red Chamber will never go with him just as he had claimed during the interview.
Reacting in a post on his official X handle on Friday, Dickson expressed his disappointment with the Akpabio’s attempt to silence him.
He held that the Senate is a meeting of equals and everyone should be equally respected.
On his accusation against the Senate while speaking at the interview, Dickson reiterated that no lawmaker need the permission of the Senate President to make a opinion in an interview on a topical matter of national interest.
“My attention has also been drawn to a viral video showing parts of the unfortunate exchanges between the Senate President and I before we devolved to the closed session.
“As I said on the floor, the Senate President was very unfair to me by trying to censor my freedom of expression and by deliberately misrepresenting the import of what I said in the broadcast on Wednesday which was the same thing I said on the floor yesterday.
“It is my opposition in principle to the declaration of a state of emergency, as well as the suspension of elected officials.
“I thank all those who have called to commend my composure under unnecessary and unexpected attempt at intimidation.
“Everyone, including the Senate President, knows I have long gone beyond that stage in my life.
“The Senate as I said is a meeting of equals and everyone should be respected just as we accord respect to the Chair.
“No senator needs the permission of the senate president to express an opinion in an interview on a topical matter of national interest that is in the public domain.
“I intend to meet the Senate President to formally express my displeasure, to prevent a reoccurrence.” He said.
While expressing his gratitude to those who reach to him following the fall out with the Senate President, Dickson described the clash as part of life’s challenges and a call to duty.
“I thank my constituents, Nigerians and all people of goodwill who have called to express solidarity and urge them not to be dismayed at the direction our democracy appears to have taken.
“For someone like me who has been in trenches over the years, all these challenges are actually a call to duty and I therefore implore all people of goodwill to come together and ensure that participatory democracy is promoted in our country.” He added.
The lawmaker representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, however, disclosed thatbhe walked out of the chamber following the closed-session where the state of emergency in Rivers was approved.
He said he was in opposition of the approval alongside Sokoto state lawmaker, Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, who strongly condemned the unconstitutionality of the declaration.
“Yesterday, at the sitting of the Senate, the issue of the President’s proclamation of a state of emergency in Rivers State came up for discussion and as I have stated repeatedly, I raised my objections in the closed session on how the declaration fell short of constitutional prescription, based on my views as a Democrat, sworn to uphold the Nigerian constitution.
“The Senate did not undertake the debate in an open session however, it was quite robust. I want to thank Sen. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for his strong support of the unconstitutionality of the declaration, especially the aspect that deals with the suspension of the elected officials of the Rivers State government.
“At the end of the day, majority of the senators supported the proclamation as no room was given for an open debate at plenary.
“I left the plenary before the Senate President was directed to report the outcome because I didn’t want to be present while what I opposed is being reported. I believe Senator Tambuwal, Senator Abaribe and others also left.
“I want to make it clear that as I stated repeatedly, I spoke and voted against the proclamation in our closed session, supported by Senator Aminu Tambuwal and a few other senators who were not recognized to speak.
“And so I want to thank all the senators who shared the view that I vigorously canvassed.
“I am however aware of the efforts made to modify the declaration as a result of the concerns and views we have expressed and canvassed the past few days.
“Though I acknowledge the effort being made by the leadership and President to moderate the terms of the declaration and to create a mechanism for oversight, theoretically this does not counter the primary issue of constitutionality.
“The beauty of democracy is such that the minority will have their say while the majority their way.
“I would have wished for a more robust and open debate so that all views and opinions can be openly canvassed as I requested even at the closed session specifically and thereafter, the majority can have their way but as it is, both chambers have decided and the ball is now on the court of the other arms of government, especially the judiciary, in the event of any challenge.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Rivers State.” He added.