“Secondly, our Constitution says members of the National Assembly who so wish [shall elect a President]… it does not say you have to come from the majority party. There are those that know that," Saraki said.
Senate President Bukola Saraki has indicated that he will hang on to his position as the head of the upper chamber even if his new party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is found out to be in the minority when the Senate reconvenes on September 25.
Saraki defected to the PDP from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in July, leading to calls by the APC for him to resign his position as Speaker.
At the ‘World Press Conference’ he organised in Abuja on Wednesday to address Tuesday’s invasion of the National Assembly by the Department of State Services (DSS) officials, the matter was brought up after Saraki read out his address.
“While in the All Progressives Congress (APC), you were given the Senate president seat,” a Reuters journalist said as he began his question. “We want to know, what will be the position once the house reconvenes? Will you be relinquishing the seat?”
To answer, Saraki first clarified that he was not ‘given’ the position, before adding that he didn’t need the majority party to hold the position.
“First question, I was not given. You used the word ‘given’; I was not given. I was elected by members,” he said.
“Secondly, our Constitution says members of the National Assembly who so wish [shall elect a President]… it does not say you have to come from the majority party. There are those that know that.”
At the end of the conference, the National Assembly leadership met with a delegation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).