Ekweremadu escapes assassination attempt – Aide

Deputy Senate Presi­dent, Ike Ekwer­emadu,  escaped an assassination attempt in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to a state­ment by his Special Advis­er (Media), Uche Anichuk­wu, the attempt oc­curred about 10a.m be­tween Apo Flyover and Dantata Construction Company's yard, close to old Central Bank of Ni­geria, CBN Headquarters junction on his way to work.

The statement reads in part, “The suspected assassins who operated in a tinted, white Mercedez Benz AMG E63 without a plate number, were chauf­feured by a long-bearded light skinned foreigner, ap­parently a mercenary. The vehicle, which was positioned by Apo Bridge, on noticing that the Depu­ty President of the Senate's convoy took the right turn to join the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway instead, made a turn.

“The occupants at­tempted to attack the con­voy, but were blocked. The driver violently broke into the convoy and they made several frantic attempts to attack the Senator's official car. “When charged at by the security operatives at­tached to the Deputy Presi­dent of the Senate, the Benz driver made a u-turn, and partially smashed an oncoming vehicle on the opposite lane of the high­way and escaped. The development has already been reported to the security agencies”

Ekweremadu who emerged the Deputy Senate President against all odds has been facing stiff opposition from some All Progressives Congress members of the Senate who have vowed to remove him. Last week some of these senators walked out on Ekweremadu while he was presiding to demonstrate that he is not recognised by them.

Ekweremadu who has hitherto been Deputy Senate President for eight years is a meber of opposition People’s Democratic Party and owes his position to the political alliance between his party and Bukola Saraki-led group of APC members, which produced Saraki as Senate President.