You Crossed The Line, ‘NASS Fires Back At Bakare Over Comment On Legislature
The National Assembly has fired back at Pastor Tunde Bakare over his criticism of the legislature, describing it as biased.
Bakare, the serving overseer of The Citadel Global Community Church, had on Sunday condemned the senate’s suspension of Senator Natasha-Akpoti Uduaghan; the National Assembly’s ratification of the emergency rule in Rivers.
“The two main contenders in the ongoing institutional immorality Olympics are the executive and the legislature,” he said.
But on Tuesday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Yemi Adaramodu, said the cleric was biased and crossed the line in his commentary.
“While the Senate respects the right of every citizen – regardless of station – to express views on the state of the nation, we are constrained to respond when such commentary crosses the line into unwarranted invective and misleading assertions that risk eroding public trust in democratic institutions,” the statement by Adaramodu read.
Adaramodu said, “such commentary crosses the line into unwarranted invective and misleading assertions that risk eroding public trust in democratic institutions”.
“We view his corrosive criticisms of the National Assembly as a biased and political ecumenical homily,” the statement read.
He said Bakare’s aspersions on the National Assembly, “based on personal frustrations, ideological differences, or as positioning ahead of possible future political alignments are not only unfair but also counterproductive to our collective democratic journey.
“The challenges facing our country require dialogue anchored on truth, mutual respect, and a commitment to nation-building, not polarizing rhetoric that undermines confidence in our democratic institutions.”
“We are confident that, in time, with a nuanced review of the performance of the 10th national assembly — within the context of the exigencies of this time and season — Pastor Bakare may, at some point in the future, commend us for acting in the best interest of the people of Nigeria, in line with our constitutional mandate,” the Senator added.
