False claims against Senate Leader Bamidele spark Senate outrage

The Senate has expressed serious concern over what it describes as a series of malicious attempts to tarnish the reputation of the Senate, its leadership, and the National Assembly.

A statement from the Directorate Media and Public Affairs, Office of the Senate Leader, on Friday said the most recent incident involved a petition allegedly submitted to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), targeting the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.

The petition, attributed to David Udoh, Convener of the so-called Public Procurement Transparency Group, accused Bamidele of pressuring the Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Abba Abubakar Aliyu, to award contracts to companies linked to him, in violation of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

However, the Senate has dismissed these allegations as unfounded and lacking in any supporting evidence.

In response, the REA has released a statement refuting these claims, emphasizing its commitment to transparency, fairness, and adherence to due process in all its activities, including procurement.

The agency made it clear that it had never been subjected to any undue pressure that would compromise the integrity of its procurement processes.

The Senate has grown increasingly frustrated with what it terms as “cheap blackmail” orchestrated by anonymous groups and individuals using social media and bloggers to disseminate falsehoods.

These actions, the Senate warned, not only damage the image of the National Assembly but also harm Nigeria’s reputation on the global stage.

The Senate said its preliminary investigations revealed that the Public Procurement Transparency Group is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and that its Convener, David Udoh, appeared to be a fictitious character with an inactive and non-functional contact number.

It said further inquiries suggested that no petition was ever submitted to the ICPC, indicating that the entire episode was a calculated attempt to blackmail Senator Bamidele through social media.

The Senate emphasized that Nigeria operates under the rule of law, guided by the Constitution, Acts of the National Assembly, and judicial precedents.

Moving forward, the Senate warned that it would no longer tolerate such baseless attacks and would pursue legal action against anyone found guilty of attempting to blackmail the Senate, its leadership, or the National Assembly.