Senate Adjourns Till Sept 25 As 15 APC Senators Defect To PDP

BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The Senate on Tuesday adjourned its plenary for two months in keeping with international legislative calendar and practice. The upper legislative chamber is expected to resume on September 25, 2018.

Before the scheduled adjournment, President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki announced the defection of 15 Senators from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The defectors include Senators Barnabas Gemade (Benue), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara), Dino Melaye (Kogi), Abdulazeek Nyako (Adamawa), Shaaba Lafiaji (Kwara), Usman Nafada (Gombe) and Tejuoso Olerewaju (Ogun). 

Others are Senators Sumeiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna), Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo), Usman Nafada (Gombe), Isa Misau (Bauchi), Ibrahim Danbabba (Sokoto), Ubale Shittu (Jigawa) and Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi). 

Senator Shehu Sani (APC Kaduna) is equally believed to have left the APC but yet to announce his new party of choice. Similarly, the defection of the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki from the APC is considered a concluded matter as well.

It is being speculated that more Senators would be dumping the APC in few days-time while a mass defection is likely to hit the ruling Party in the House of Representatives any moment from now.

The letter conveying the decision of the former APC Senators to dump their former party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reads in part;

Dear Senate President,

After due consultation, with our constituents and stakeholders in our constituency, in proper recognition of section 16 (1G) of the 1999 constitution as amended, and for the fact that our party, the All Progressives Congress, we hereby inform the Senate that we the undersigned hereby resign our membership of the APC and declare for the PDP.

The adjournment of the Senate followed a prayer upon a motion on the siege on residences of the President of the Senate Dr. Saraki and the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

In order to fulfil legislative procedure and practice, the Senators had a short adjournment of 30 minutes to enable to allow for the adoption of the votes and proceedings of the day.