Drama in Senate over defections

There was drama in the Senate yesterday as Senate President David Mark spurned attempts by some senators to make him formally announce their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).Mark said he would not read the joint letter of defection submitted by 11 senators two weeks ago because the matter was in court.But the defectors […]

There was drama in the Senate yesterday as Senate President David Mark spurned attempts by some senators to make him formally announce their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mark said he would not read the joint letter of defection submitted by 11 senators two weeks ago because the matter was in court.
But the defectors insisted that they had already moved out of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), regardless of whether the letter was read or not.
Since the senators announced their defection outside the Senate chambers on January 29, there had been series of meetings with Mark, all of which ended in stalemate.
The defecting senators demanded their letter be presented in the Senate chambers, but Mark said the matter was sub judice since there is a pending court case on it.
Last week, the Senate said Mark had decided to seek legal advice and a final decision would be taken yesterday.
The defectors are Bukola Saraki, Danjuma Goje, Abdullahi Adamu, Aisha Jummai Alhassan, Umaru Dahiru, Abdullahi Gobir, Magnus Abe, Wilson Ake, Jibrilla Bindo, Sha’aba Lafiagi and Mohammed Ndume.
Shortly after the Senate session began yesterday, Saraki raised a point of order under matters of privileges, informing the Senate that he had earlier conveyed his defection letter to the Senate President and that he no longer belonged to the PDP.
However, Mark ruled Saraki out of order, arguing that the matter was in court and therefore would not be entertained, in line with the Senate rules.
Rule 53(5) of the Senate standing orders forbids making “reference to any matter on which a judicial decision is pending, in such a way as might in the opinion of the Senate President prejudice the interest of parties thereto.”
Mark’s ruling angered Minority Leader George Akume (APC, Benue) who challenged the decision, saying his refusal to read the defection letter had impeded on the right of the senators to belong to any party of their choice.
Mark fired back at Akume: “It is wrong for him (Saraki) to comment on a matter that was before a competent court of law.”
Not satisfied with the Senate President’s decision, Senators Adamu, Ake, Abe and Alhassan filed up one after the other raising separate points of order to announce that they had defected from the PDP and were now members of the APC.
But, one after the other, the Senate President ruled them all out of order.
Alhassan said, “We submitted a letter which the Senate President said he was not going to read because there is a pending court injunction that the status quo should be maintained.
“We are saying that the issue before the court has to do with the declaration of seats vacant but Senator Mark maintained that it’s about defection. We cannot be asked to maintain status quo about declaring our seats vacant. That order did not affect us and it’s not about moving from one party to another.”
She said if the Senate President still thinks that she and 10 of her colleagues are still in the PDP, “It is his personal opinion”.
‘No one defected’
Speaking to journalists after the plenary session, Senate spokesman Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia) said as far as the Senate was concerned no senator has defected to the APC.
He said the Senate President’s hands were tied by the court case instituted by the defecting senators, and advised them to either withdraw the case or ask for a speedy dispensation in court.
Abaribe said the defectors were still PDP members and won’t be allocated seats on the side of opposition political parties in the Senate chambers.
Senator Abe also spoke to reporters later, saying: “We have absolute confidence that this matter will be sorted out soon. Senator David Mark…knows the meaning of freedom of association. What you are witnessing is the internal politics of the senate; we have confidence in the leadership.”
Meanwhile, attempts by Senator Ehigie Uzamere representing Edo South to announce his defection from the APC to the PDP were aborted by the Senate President.
Uzamere had on four occasions during the sitting shouted on top of his voice raising point of order with his two hands up seeking to be recognised to speak, but Mark did not give him the chance.
Defending refusal of Mark to allow Uzamere speak, Abaribe said the rules state that the Senate President would only recognise those whom his eye catches and Mark did not see Uzamere’s hands.
Uzamere later issued a statement announcing his defection from the APC to the PDP.