ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Senate, on Thursday, adjourned plenary for a week as a result of the ongoing congresses of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Sundiata Post reports that the ongoing congresses are preparatory to the PDP’s National Convention slated for Saturday, May 21.
One of the congresses was that of local government conducted by the party on Thursday, which prevented senators from forming a quorum.
The rule of the Senate stipulates that quorum is formed for plenary when one-third (at least 37 senators) of the 109 senators are present at the Chamber.
However, the senators that were present were not up to 37.
They include: 25 senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), four PDP senators, and one Labour Party senator.
After considering the votes and proceedings of Wednesday, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, moved that the Plenary be adjourned to the next legislative day.
Ordinarily, that would have been Tuesday next week.
But instead, Ndume moved to next week (Thursday, May 12) on the account of PDP state congress coming up on that day.
In a letter forwarded to the Senate President, Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki, and read on the floor, the Senate Minority Leader and Leader of the PDP Senate caucus, Senator Godwill Akpabio, noted that as the congresses of the Party get to local government and state levels, the Senate should allow PDP senators to participate fully by suspending the Plenary.
The Senate, thereafter, adjourned Plenary to Thursday, May 12.
Coincidentally, the one week adjournment of the plenary by the Senate would also afford its embattled President, Saraki, to pay full attention to his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) on Tuesday next week as earlier slated by the Tribunal at its last sitting last Thursday.
