The member representing Epe Constituency II in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Olusegun Olulade, has criticised the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, over a statement credited to him, suggesting the possible return of military to power in Nigeria.
Olulade, who spoke on Thursday in his office, described Ekweremadu’s statement as careless and ridiculous, adding that such an awful statement should not have come from a right thinking and true member of the legislative arm of government.
According to the lawmaker, “any thoughtful legislator who is a true democrat will know that anytime the military strikes, the legislature will be the one to suffer. We can all still remember what we went
through during the military era, in which the citizens were reduced to severe hardship. So it is very unfortunate that Senator Ekweremadu will make such statement on the floor of the Senate.”
Ekeweremadu, had on Wednesday, while contributing to debate on the floor of the Senate, said the possibility of the military taking over power in Nigeria cannot be totally ruled out.
The Deputy Senate President was also quoted to have said that Nigeria’s democracy was receding and therefore could lead to military takeover.
Speaking further, Olulade maintained that if Ekweremadu was part of the struggle to return democracy to Nigeria, “he wouldn’t have uttered such a statement. A true democrat should not even joke with military taking over power.
“It is now clear to us that a person like Ekweremadu is not a lover of democracy. I could recollect that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, sometimes ago, alleged that some politicians are
lobbying some top military hierarchy to take over power in the country,” Olulade stated.
He, however, cautioned the Senator to watch his statements and be guarded whenever he is speaking on the floor of the Senate, adding that “we should not be talking about military return to power at this
time when the present government is trying very hard to put the country back to her rightful place. Anyone talking about military return now doesn’t love the country.”
