Abia lawmaker pushes for deranking of Senator Adeyemi over ‘drunkard’ comment

Senator Smart Adeyemi came under fire on Friday for calling Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu as a champagne drunkard as lawmaker representing member, Representing Isialangwa North/South Federal Constituency, Darlington Nwokocha, told the Senate to derank him.

Hon. Nwokocha said, he was shocked that Senator Smart Adeyemi representing Kogi West Senatorial district could get involved in legislative idiocy as a three term lawmaker in the upper legislative chamber.

In a statement which he personally signed and made available to CAPITAL POST in Abuja, he described Adeyemi’s utterances as unparliamentary and uncouth of a Senator.

“My attention has been drawn to a shocking act of legislative idiocy perpetuated by Sen. Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West), wherein he desecrated the sanctity and the treasured sacredness of the Senate and the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by his verbal assault on His Excellency, Dr. Okezie Victor Ikpeazu, the Executive Governor of Abia State, the Government and good people of Abia State as a whole.

“Sen. Adeyemi during the Senate plenary of 23rd February, 2021, while contributing on a motion, suddenly lost his lucid moment, digressed from the subject matter before the Senate to recklessly claim that “The governor of Abia State is a DRUNKARD.”

“The Kogi Senator’s verbal assault on the personality and the towering accomplishments of the Executive Governor of Abia State, was not only unparliamentary and disgraceful but highly immature and reprehensible.

“I have maintained a studied silence in the last fews days, to give Senator Adeyemi the opportunity to regain his sanity and subsequently mobilize his kinsmen to Abia, to apologize to our governor, the Government and people of Abia State.

Moreso, the outraged Senator didn’t just assault the Governor of Abia State but also trampled on the legislative privileges of all Members of the National Assembly from Abia State including my humble self.

“One would have thought that Sen. Adeyemi, having served three terms in the Senate Chambers would have gathered the requisite wisdom required of a Ranking Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Unfortunately, the Senator’s despicable outburst has shown that he lacks the necessary knowledge, qualifications and intellectual legislative decorum to continue to enjoy the privileges of a Ranking Senator.

According to him, disciplining the errant Senator would save the integrity of the upper chamber, insisting that Senators should be unanimous in deranking Smart.

“It must be noted that the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and indeed, the National Assembly as a whole is a highly revered democratic institution where Presidents bow with reverence and important businesses of government are conducted in line with section 4 of the Nigerian constitution and other relevant rules of procedure.

“The Hallow chamber of the Senate is a place of utmost truth, where integrity, decorum and maturity are of high premium.

Thus, the Senate must and should never under any guise condone the wishy-washy behavior and character deficit of the Kogi Senator.

“As doing so, will completely erode the moral and ethical qualification of such privilege of bows and respect from highly dignified personalities.

“The brazen rascality and unguarded utterances of Sen. Adeyemi is a disgraceful desecration of the Hallowed chamber of the Nigerian Senate, threat to democracy, bastardization of the public image of the National Assembly, a breach of his Legislative Powers, Privileges and Code of Conduct for public officers, which must be treated in accordance with laid down legislative practices and procedure as a deterrent to those who may wish to manifest undistinguished behavior in the future.

“Nigerians should note that the unruly behavior of Sen. Adeyemi is a complete violation of the 1999 constitution of the Federal of Nigeria (As amended), a violation of my privileged rights, conferred by the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act. Cap. L12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and other statues, Legislative Practices, Precedents, Usages, Customs and Conventions; including, Order 53, Rule 4, Order 14, Rule 18 of the Senate Standing Orders; as well as, Order 6, Rule 3 and 4 of the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.

“I therefore, call on the President of the Senate, leadership and members of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to immediately denounce and condemn the legislative immaturity displayed by Sen. Adeyemi; as well as De-Rank him.

“Also, his strange behavior should be subjected to full investigation by the relevant Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges or Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives.

“As a ranking member of the National Assembly from Abia State, I further demand on behalf of the good people of my federal constituency and the “highly intelligent, educated and enterprising people of Abia State” alluded in the Senator’s outburst; an official apology to His Excellency, the Governor of Abia State and also publicly retract his unparliamentary comments within the next three legislative days.

“Failure to do so, will attract immediate legal action against Senator Smart Adeyemi.

“It is also worthy of note that since Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu assumed the reins of power in 2015, Abia State has experienced sustainable peace and security, thriving educational, health and agricultural sectors including commerce, industry and trade. As well as becoming the fastest economic and innovation rising hub under the “Made in Aba (MIA) Products initiative, that has designated Abia State today as a choice destination for foreign direct investment.”