.Plans to arrest Saraki, Ekweremadu alleged

.Lawan's camp threatens showdown over suspension moves

Ahead of Tuesday's resumption of the Senate, more controversies have continued to envelop the Red Chamber with the latest revolving around the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki's doorstep.

Although the latest controversy was preceded by an alleged forgery scandal against the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, the invitation of the wife of the Senate President, Mrs. Toyin Saraki, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has upset the Saraki's camp.

The camp, in the Senate, otherwise known as the''Like Minds' is now running from post to pillar, alleging foul play in the invitation of Mrs. Saraki by the EFCC. The news of the anti-corruption agency's invitation of the Senate President's wife first broke on Tuesday.

Mrs. Saraki, whose husband was governor of Kwara State for eight years - (2003 to 2011), was invited by the EFCC over alleged money laundering during the tenure of her husband.

During her husband's reign in Kwara State, her NGO - Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBF Africa), was everywhere in the state fighting maternal mortality and seeing to the plights of orphans and vulnerable children. The fixing of her appearance day for Tuesday, the same day the Senate is expected to resume from recess is seen as a deliberately ploy to decimate the Saraki camp in the Senate. And it is believed that the wife will be used to get at Saraki who has been having a running battle with the commission.

First to vent their anger on the EFCC invitation were APC Senators who are members of the 'Like Minds' group. Senator Dino Melaye, who spoke for the group, questioned the rationale behind the invitation in the face of the leadership tussle facing the Senate with her husband being the principal actor. Before the noise made by the APC senators loyal to Saraki went down, the uproar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators followed.

Saraki won the June 9th election at the Senate with the massive support of the PDP.

The senators, in a statement signed by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi representing Delta North Senatorial District, said any attempt to unleash the anti-graft agencies on members of the National Assembly as a result of the leadership crisis would not only be constitutionally and lawfully resisted but could have dire consequences on the governance of the country.

Also, Saraki's camp yesterday raised alarm over alleged moves by the Lawan's camp to organise the arrest of the Senate President and Senator Ekweremadu using the police and the EFCC.

According to them, "The new move by Lawan's group is to get Saraki and Ekweremadu arrested or get Saraki harassed to the point where he will be helpless and unable to halt any attempt to impeach Ekweremadu.