PDP, Senate in dilemma over Saraki, Goje, other defecting senators

Bukola Saraki

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Senate leadership appear to be in a dilemma on how to resolve the recent defection of 11 PDP Senators to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Senate leadership has bluntly refused to read on the floor of the chamber the letter written by the new APC on their decision to jump ship. Senate President David Mark said he would not read the letter because doing otherwise would be prejudicial and that might necessitate having to declare the seats of the affected Senators vacant.

But information available to The Nation yesterday suggested that the real reason may be the planned defection of two Labour Party (LP) senators and one All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) senator  to the PDP.

The PDP Caucus in the Senate fears that once it carries out its threat to declare the seats of the new APC Senators vacant it would have no choice in treating those of LP and APGA differently if they cross over to the PDP.

PDP Senators   held two strategic meetings in Abuja during the week to discuss the defections.

The first  of the meetings was hosted by the Senate Leader, Mr. Victor Ndoma-Egba  at his residence while the  other took place at the Apo residence of the Senate President.

Sources said that  plan on how to frustrate the  defection to the  APC was sealed at the  meetings.

It was gathered that the Senate leadership and the PDP are greatly worried  by the resolve of the defectors to push through their move to APC.

The PDP Senators meetings followed two emergency closed door sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday aimed at calming down frayed nerves in the chamber.

Regardless of the refusal of the senate leadership to read their letter, five of them – Abubakar Bukola Saraki, (Kwara Central), Magnus Abe, (Rivers South East), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), Wilson Ake (Rivers West),and Aisha Jumai Al-Hassan , announced their defection on the floor of the  chamber.

Mark   cut them short by ruling them out of order “because no reference shall be made to any matter in court.”

Since the Tuesday incident, insiders said that “what is prevailing in the Senate chamber is a situation of no love lost” between the Senate leadership and the opposition lawmakers, led by the Minority Leader, Senator George Akume.

A source said that more PDP Senators are waiting for the appropriate time to formally announce  their defection to the APC.

One of such Senators, Ahmed Hassan Barata (Adamawa South)  on Thursday during the screening of former Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, introduced himself as an APC Senator.

The opposition Senators are said to be keeping their next line of action close to their chest.

On the failed attempt to declare the seats of the defecting Senators vacant, Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang who spearheaded the move told newsmen that “having raised the matter and it was ruled upon by Mark I would not want to go there again except if situation changes.”

Chairman, Information, Media and Publicity, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, also insisted that Mark failed to read the defection letter because the matter is in court.