THERE were indications on Sunday that three members of the senate, Senators Solomon Ewuga (CPC, Nasarawa North), Chris Anyanwu (APGA, Imo East), and Ehigie Uzamere (ACN, Edo South), had perfected the process of their defection to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that the three senators would have announced their defection on the floor last week but for the appeal by the senate leadership that their action would be a weapon of blackmail by the opposition.
The leadership of the Senate had prevented the reading on the floor of the letter of defection of Senators Bukola Saraki, Adamu Abdulahi, Shaba Lafiagi, Ibrahim Gobir, Aisha Al – Hassan, Magnus Abe, Wilson Ake, Jibrilla Mohammed Bindowo, Danjuma Goje, Ali Ndume, and Umar Dahiru, who wanted to join the All Progressives Congress.
Senate President David Mark had maintained that their defection would not be perfected because they had instituted a suit against the Senate leadership at a court of law and that he would therefore not act on any matter pending before the court.
The development, it was further learnt, stalled the formal defection of Ewuga, Anyanwu and Uzamere, who made frantic efforts to announce their defection to the PDP last week, having registered as a member of the party in their various constituencies.
Uzamere had even attempted to raise a point of order to announce his defection on the floor last week but was not recognised by Mark, even when the attention of the Senate was drawn to his efforts by Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, an APC member from Oyo State.
The Senator from Edo State told our correspondent last week that he wanted to join the PDP because his party had merged with other parties and that he did not believe in the merger arrangement.
Also, Anyanwu justified her planned defection by citing the division in APGA, while Ewuga also said his decision was informed by the fact that he did not believe in the merger arrangement, which his party had subscribed to.
One of the defecting senators, who pleaded anonymity, told our correspondent on Sunday that he would submit his letter of defection this week and would make open announcement on the floor.
Meanwhile, the 11 senators who submitted a joint letter of defection were also said to be planning to raise a point of order seeking a political solution to their case on the floor of the Senate this week.
However, investigations by our correspondent revealed that the Senate leadership might frustrate the move and would insist on its position that the outcome of the court process, which they instituted, would determine their fate.
Source: Punch
