Defection: Mark’s absence stops Saraki, 10 PDP senators

    
The absence of Senate President David Mark to preside over plenary on Thursday, prevented the 11 aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party from formally defecting to the All Progressives Congress on the floor of the Senate.

The Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the session, refused to read the joint letters of  defection, submitted by the aggrieved senators.

He said Mark had told him that he had scheduled a meeting with the aggrieved senators whenever he returned from his official trip to Jigawa State.

One of the defecting senators, Senator Bukola Saraki, who cited Order 53, had drawn the attention of the Senate to the letter of defection he submitted which was not read.

Senator Danjuma Goje also raised a point of order citing  the same section, to demand the reading of his letter of defection.

There was, however, a mild drama when Saraki said Mark did not schedule a meeting with him but that he merely promised to see him personally after his trip from Jagawa.

Saraki said, “I want to speak on a notice which by a letter was communicated yesterday to your Chair on notification of the  change of political party by myself and 10 other senators on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

“So I feel that it is necessary for me to bring to your attention that the letter has not yet been read.

Ekweremadu replied that “the Senate President had travelled and before he travelled, he told me you had a discussion with and agreed to have a meeting on Monday. So, that was what he told me on the subject.”

Saraki interjected immediately and said, ” That is not the case, sir. I submitted the letter as of yesterday (Wednesday) and he (Mark) indicated the intention that he would like to meet with senators.

“But the two issues, submitting the letter and his request for the meeting, do not seem that the meeting is subject to the bringing of the letter.

“So I feel that the two are two separate issues.”

Ekweremadu, who had obviously made up his mind on the issue said, “Unfortunately this is my own understanding of your dialogue with him and he is not here.

“I believe that we would stand down any issue relating to that until he comes back.”

Determined not to allow the case rest like that said, Goje raised his point of order.

He said, “Yesterday (Wednesday) myself Sen. Danjuma Goje representing Gombe Central and 10 others presented a letter to the senate president formally informing him that  we have defected from the PDP to the APC.

“We thought the letter would have been read yesterday (Wednesday) but it was not and we feel that it should be read today. I feel it is our right and privilege for that letter to be read.

“Myself I have defected and 10 other senators have also signed that letter defecting from PDP to APC. So I demand that the letter be read.”

Ekweremadu interjected him and said, “First of all, I think you just came late. We have discussed this matter earlier before you arrived and we have taken a decision on this.

“We have taken position on that. Mark did not give me any letter to read.”