Strong
indications emerged on Monday that the leadership of the Senate decided
to postpone the resumption of plenary to next week Tuesday in order to
avert possible clash among members.
Our correspondent learnt that the
spontaneous reactions of some senators to the personal opinion expressed
by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita
Enang, on the status of defecting lawmakers in the National Assembly had
generated serious tension.
Specifically, Enang had asked the
Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh polls to fill
vacant seats left by the lawmakers who had defected to the All
Progressives Congress since they became members of the National Assembly
through the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party they were
abandoning.
The development forced the Senate
leadership to direct the Chairman, Senate Committee on Information,
Media and Public Affairs, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, to issue a
statement, dissociating the Upper legislative chamber from the personal
opinion expressed by Enang.
A source close to the leadership of the
Senate told our correspondent on Monday that the postponement was
necessary in order to curb the impending clash among members over the
tension generated by the various positions of some senators on the
current gale of defections.
As at now, close to 20 aggrieved
senators were said to be preparing to dump the PDP for the APC whenever
they resumed from their Christmas/New Year break.
The position of Enang according to one
of the aggrieved senators, was seen as a kite being flown by the Senate
leadership in collaboration with the PDP and the Presidency, to threaten
their proposed action to join the APC.
The Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Benedict
Efeturi, was immediately directed to issue a public notice directing
senators to resume on January 21 against the earlier resumption date of
January 14, citing the Eid – Maulud holiday and the Armed Forces
Remembrance Day, as reasons.
PUNCH NG
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