BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – Moves by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to gain control of the Nigerian Senate suffered a minor setback on Wednesday night as Senators Lanre Tejuoso from Ogun Central and Adesoji Akanbi from Oyo South insisted their membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is intact and they are going nowhere.
Coming on the heels of their much-publicized defection to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the floor of the Senate last Tuesday, both Senators may have succumbed to the high-wired political intrigues that took the centre stage in Abuja as APC Senators moved to close ranks against the looming threat from the PDP.
In a show of solidarity, both lawmakers massed among the APC senators who met President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, with Tejuoso announcing his return to the Party’s fold.
NAN reports that while introducing himself to President Buhari at the meeting, Senator Tejuoso said: “Mr President, your son has returned home.”
Also conspicuous at what insiders described as a ‘fence-mending and peace-building’ session was the Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani. The fire-brand activist, who has remained outspoken and a major critic of the APC-led administration at both the federal level and Kaduna State, was seen exchanging pleasantries with his colleagues at the meeting.
Among Senators that attended the meeting were: Adamu Aleiro, Bala Ibn Na-Allah, Aliyu Wammako, Ibrahim Gobir, Kabiru Marafa, Abu Ibrahim, Kabiru Gaya, Barau Jibrin, Abdullahi Gumel, Ahmed Lawan, , Ali Ndume, Abubakar Kyari, Baba Kaka Garbai, Aliyu Abdullahi, and David Umaru.
Others include; Abdullahi Adamu, George Akume, Francis Alimekhina, Andrew Uchendu, Magnus Abe, Ovie Omo-Agege, John Enoh, Nelson Effiong, Andy Uba, Sunny Ugboji, Hope Uzodinma, Ben Uwajimogu, Yusuf Abubakar, Oluremi Tinubu, Gbenga Ashafa, Solomon Adeola, Tayo Alasoadura, Soji Akanbi, Ajayi Boroffice, Yele Omogunwa, Fatima Rasaki, Olanrewaju Tejuoso, and Yahaya Abdullahi.
With the three lawmakers, Tejuoso, Akanbi and Sani still firmly on the APC’s train, the governing party now has 54 members in the Upper legislative Chamber to maintain a slim majority over the rampaging PDP.
Akanbi had promptly denied defecting with fourteen Senators from the APC to the PDP in the Senate on Tuesday, affirming that he was still an APC member.
The Senator had in the statement expressed surprised that his name was mentioned by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, among the list of defectors during the day’s plenary.
“It was to my great surprise to hear that my name was read among APC Senators defecting to PDP as announced on the floor of Senate Chamber by the Senate President.
“I remain an APC member and Senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Oyo State.” – With NAN report
