Senate President Turns Down Motion On Defecting Senators

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines Tuesday, February 11th, 2014

Muyiwa Bamidele, Lagos

For three weeks running, the senate President David Mark has refused to read defection letter of 11 people Democratic Party senators to formally seal their defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC)

Nigeria’s Senate President David Mark

Some of the affected senators who raised point of order to inform the senate about their defection from PDP to APC have their order over ruled by the senate President.

Senator Saraki led the way by raising a point of order and announced his defection to the APC.

Senator Magnus Abe and Willison Ake from Rivers state informed the senate that they are now card carry members of the opposition APC and they have seized to be members of PDP.

Similar senator Adamu Abdulihi from Nasarawa also told the red chamber of the National Assembly that he has crossed from PDP to APC.

However, Mark has refused to read the letter on the floor of the Senate citing a pending a court case.

The last that was heard about the issue was that Mark would seek legal opinion because of the pending case in court.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, said: “the Senate has rules” adding that “ these senators are aware of the rules.”

It would be recalled that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has secured a court injunction directing the National Assembly leadership to maintain status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit filed by the party.

Speaking on the Senate president’s position, the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Gorge Akume, expressed displeasure that the issue of the defecting lawmakers had not been handled properly arguing it was a breach of the concerned senators’ rights