BREAKING: Nigerian Senate loses bid to stop deployment of troops to Gambia.

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki on Thursday deflected a move asking President Muhammadu Buhari to approach the National Assembly for permission before embarking on any military action in Gambia.

 

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator from Enugu state, Chukwuka Utazi, had raised a constitutional order which was rejected by Saraki who presided over plenary.

 

Standing on order 43 of the Senate Standing Rules, Senator Utazi quoted section  5 (4) of the 1999 constitution which required the consent of both Houses of the National assembly before the President commits the armed forces to any operation outside the shores of the country.

 

In a response, Saraki insisted that Senator Utazi did not read through the details of the said section of the constitution and dismissed the order.

 

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, had however insisted that the law is clear on the issue.

 

According to him, aside the declaration of war which was explained in section 5 of the constitution, the President must seek the consent of the National Assembly before deploying the Nigerian armed forces to another country.

 

But the presiding officer was not swayed as the gavel went down to strike out the order.

 

Recall that a Nigerian war ship had been deployed in readiness of possible use of force to remove Yahya Jammeh from office as president of Gambia.

 

Jammeh had lost a general election in December, initially conceded defeat but made a turn around in a bid that is seen as an attempt to hold on to his 22-year reign in power.