He is known to be a fearless critic of government who does not care whose ox is gored. This time around, Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, has turned his focus on the Senate, accusing it of impunity.
He said recent developments in the Senate showed that it has thrown caution to the wind. He cited the decision of the Senate not to screen the 27 newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, until Ibrahim Magu had been removed from office as the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the summon issued on Itse Sagay, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption by the Senate because Sagay criticised the Senate, was informed by the atmosphere of impunity that seemed to be pervading the upper chamber.
Falana also said the Senate violated settled principles of law by suspending Senator Ali Ndume for six months. “In view of the settled state of the law as expantiated upon in the aforementioned cases the Senate is advised to reverse its illegal decisions and quickly return to the path of constitutionalism in the interest of lasting democracy in the country,” said Falana.
However, he said, “if the Senate remains intransigent the Executive branch of the government should adopt decisive measures to terminate the rein of impunity in the National Assembly.”