Mark’s absence stalls formal defection of Saraki, others

The absence of Senate President David Mark  from Thursday’s Senate plenary, stalled the defection of  11 aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party senators to the All Progressives Congress.

The aggrieved senators had written to Mark informing him about their decision to leave the PDP for the APC.

But during Wednesday’s plenary, neither the Senate President nor the 11 senators made reference to the letter, which  ought to have been read  on the floor of the Senate.

But during plenary on Thursday, the  Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over session, did not  read the  letter.

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.

However, the APC said this development was a pointer to the fact that the Senate leadership wanted to stall the defection. This attempt, the APC said, would fail.

Interim National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said this in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents.

Mohammed said, “Even though the Deputy Senate President was there, they refused to read the letter. It is one of two things; it is either they are trying to go to court or they are trying to woo these people back. Either way, they are going to fail.”

Ekweremadu had during the Thursday’s sitting explained that Mark informed him of a scheduled meeting with the aggrieved senators after returning from his official trip to Jigawa state.

One of the senators, Bukola Saraki, had drawn the attention of the Senate to the letter of defection.

The aggrieved senators insisted that the letter must be read because the Upper Chamber’s rule makes it mandatory for the Senate President to do so.

The letter of defection will remain null and void until the Senate President read it, according to the rule.

This was why Senator Danjuma Goje, also   cited Order 53, to demand the reading of the defection letter.

There was, however a mild drama, when Saraki told his colleagues that Mark only  promised to see him personally after his Jigawa trip.

Saraki said, “I want to speak on a notice which by a letter was communicated yesterday (Wednesday) to your chair on notification of the  change of political party by myself and 10 other senators from the platform of the PDP to the APC.

“So, I felt that it was necessary for me to bring to your attention that the letter has not yet been read.”

Ekweremadu replied that “before the  Senate President   travelled  he told me you both  agreed to have a meeting on Monday (February 3). That was what he told me on the subject.”

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

“But the two issues, submitting the letter and his request for the meeting,  did not mean that the letter would be brought on the day of our  meeting  with him.

“So, I believe  that the two are two separate issues.”

Ekweremadu, who  seemed to have  made up his mind on the issue said, “Unfortunately, this is my own understanding of your dialogue with him (Mark). I believe that we would stand down any issue relating to that until he comes back.”

Determined not to allow the case to end, Goje raised  the point of order again.

He said, “Yesterday  (Wednesday), 10 other senators and I 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 (Thursday). I feel it is our right and privilege that the letter   be read.

“I have defected and 10 other senators have also signed that letter  of defection from PDP to APC.”