ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Senate on Wednesday denied any suggestion that there was a division amongst members of the 8th Senate.
The above explanation came because some senators of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who supported Senator Ahmed Lawan’s bid to become the Senate President, abandoned the plenary session because it was presided over by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.
Briefing the Senate correspondents on the issue, Chairman, Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Sabi Abdullahi, stressed that the nation already has a lot of challenging problems, which the members of the upper chamber should help tackle, rather than engage in egoistic political imbroglio.
Abdullahi’s claim was contradicted by the Secretary of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF), Senator Sulaiman Hunkuyi, who issued a statement, decrying what he described as the subjugation of the APC dominated chamber to minority leadership at plenary.
On sighting that it was Ekweremadu who was to direct the affairs of the plenary, Lawan led the likes of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Senator Kabir Marafa and Senator George Akume, amongst others out of the Red Chamber.
The group is still aggrieved over the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Ekweremadu as the Senate President and Deputy respectively, resulting in its persistent antagonism against the leadership of the 8th Senate.
But in response to the statement by the SUF scribe, Abdullahi, called on Nigerians to disregard any purported conspiracy in the apex Chamber.
“The Senate wishes to state categorically that there is no conspiracy of any nature among distinguished Senators of the federal republic of Nigeria. The consummation of a conspiracy is the figment of the imagination of those behind the news release and should be disregarded by Nigerians.
“The Senate wishes to reiterate its total commitment to providing robust legislative actions to support the change agenda of Mr. President, as he strives to move Nigeria to new heights. The bi-partisan stance of the Senate has not and will not an impediment.
“The distinguished Senators are happy with the inauguration of the Federal Executive Council and look forward to having harmonious, ran our-free but inclusive and participatory relationship that has at its heart, the welfare of Nigerians.
“Finally, as we await the unveiling of the policy directions of Mr. President through the members of his Executive Council, the Senate is indeed, poised to work harder and better to support the emergence of a changed Nigeria of our collective dream,” Abdullahi assured.
Earlier, Hunkuyi, in a statement, decried Ekweremadu’s presiding over of the APC-dominated chamber, describing the situation as a sad development.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”70560″]
He called on all well meaning APC members and leaders to denounce the act.
In a hand-written statement circulated to journalists, which he entitled, “The Conspiracy against the APC finally consummated”, Hunkuyi noted that SUF senators would, henceforth, cease from attending any sitting presided over by the PDP.
“As Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, new Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the change agenda, PDP takes over the hallowed chamber of the Senate.
“We noticed with joy, the inauguration of the FEC by Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari of the Federal Executive Council today, the 11th of November, 2015.
“In equal stance, we noticed with grave sadness, the hand over of the hallowed Chamber of the Senate today to the opposition party, the PDP, by the Senate President to Ike Ekweremadu as PDP helmsman to preside over the majority membership of the APC-led Chamber.
“It is a very sad development that must be denounced by all well meaning APC members and leaders alike.
“With this, to show our protest as APC Senators of the 8th Senate, wish to announce that we shall seize to attend any sitting presided over by the PDP in an APC majority Chamber of the 8th Senate,” the statement said.