The Senate abruptly adjourned sitting on Wednesday without taking
decision on any issue, including the bills before it.
Before the adjournment which was protested by the All Progressives
Congress Senators, its President, David Mark, lamented the withdrawal of the
security aides of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and vowed to
protect the Legislature.
He said, “We are not to interfere in the internal affairs of each house.
However, as the Chairman of the National Assembly, I cannot fold my arms or
pretend that all is well about the current crisis.
“I am therefore going to do all I can to resolve the current impasse.
Furthermore, the matter is already in a court of law, we cannot therefore
discuss the issues here. I want to assure all of you that I will do the needful
to protect and defend the legislature at all costs.”
Signs that the Senate might not have a smooth sitting however started
when Mark read the prayers and an announcement by the Senate leader,
Senator Victor Ndoma – Egba, inviting members of the PDP caucus for
a crucial meeting at the Hearing Room One in the chamber.
The PDP caucus in the red chamber were protesting their alleged
maltreatment by President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the party,
over the last ward congresses, which ensured that only candidates of governors
emerged as delegates.
Mark thereafter invited Ndoma – Egba to lead the senate to the next item
on the order paper for deliberation barely 20 minutes into the plenary.
However, rather than mentioning any item on the order paper, the Senate
leader said, “Having exhausted all items on the order paper for
today(Wednesday), I hereby move for an adjournment to Tuesday, 11th November
for further legislative business.”
The adjournment motion was then seconded by the Deputy Senate Minority
Leader, Senator Ahmed Sanni Yerima.
While the PDP senators echoed yes to the Senate President’s question on
whether the sitting should be adjourned as moved and seconded accordingly, their
counterparts in the APC shouted nay but Mark ruled in favour of the former.
But before he finally announced the adjournment, Mark explained that the
decision was in solidarity with their colleagues in the House of
Representatives over the withdrawal of Tambuwal’s security aides by both the
Police and the Department of State Service.
The PDP senators, led by Mark, immediately went into a private
meeting to further perfect their strategies on how to confront
Jonathan and the PDP over their displeasure with the conduct of their party’s
ward congresses.
It was learnt that the real reason for the abrupt adjournment of the
Senate was to enable the PDP senators to have enough time to fine tune
strategies for contesting the congresses, which ensured
that only candidates of governors emerged as delegates.
A senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they resolved to
continue their protest until Jonathan and the PDP leadership ensured justice
and fairness in the emergence of candidates that would win the PDP tickets
in next year’s general elections.
The source also said that their meeting with Jonathan over
the congresses would hold around 10 pm on Wednesday.
He said, “We had fruitful deliberations and I think we are getting close
to resolving the crisis. We have been told that the President would lead a
meeting of the National Working Committee of the PDP to discuss with us.”
Another lawmaker said that they had already told the President and the
PDP leadership that two serving senators from each state must get automatic
tickets for the Senatorial poll.
He said, “We have already put our cards on the table. We
have resolved that at least two serving senators in each of the 36 states must
be given automatic tickets, while each governor should nominate
someone for the third ticket.”
Ndoma – Egba, who briefed journalists after the meeting
justified the protest by his colleagues, stressing that “defending democracy is
bigger than the Senate .’’
He said, “I am sure you are aware that PDP caucus met yesterday and
today (Tuesday and Wednesday) on fundamental issues affecting democracy in
Nigeria arising from the ward congress of our party last Saturday.
“The issues need to be addressed very urgently by relevant
PDP stakeholders in the interest of our democracy . You will all surely be
briefed when the issues are addressed.’’
However, the APC senators condemned the adjournment of
plenary till next week, stressing that the PDP Caucus had decided to cripple
activities in the Senate over personal interests.
Spokesperson for the APC caucus, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, said in a
statement that the action of the PDP senators were of no benefit to the overall
well-being of the nation.
The lawmaker accused their PDP counterparts of not allowing the Senate
to sit for two days in a row. He recalled that the Senate adjourned as soon as
it convened on Tuesday and adjourned again on Wednesday without any
deliberation.
Ojudu attributed what he termed as the PDP senators’ insensitivity to
issues of national interests to the battle that they were having
with their governors over PDP’s structures in their various states.
He said, “While we are in sympathy with our colleagues for their fate in
the hand of the President and the governors in their respective
states, we in the APC Senate Caucus, however condemn the habit of prioritising
personal interests over national interests at the expense of the people that
they swore to protect.
“We had planned today (Tuesday) to raise the issues of insecurity to
Nigerians and the trend of insecurity in Nigeria. Mubi, which is the second
largest town in Adamawa State, has been overrun by terrorists.
“Nigerians in that area are fleeing their homes, afraid and uncertain of
the preservation of their lives. Emirs are being driven from their palaces.
“A foremost cement factory in Gombe State has been taken
over by Boko Haram, according to news reports. Many may not believe the alarm
raised by the Deputy Governor of Borno State, Zanna Mustapha, that it is just a
matter of weeks before Boko Haram takes over the whole state, but the reality
is even scarier than this.
“Unfortunately, our brothers and sisters in the PDP do not see it this
way. They rather prefer to bicker over party nomination and return tickets,”
Ojudu added that it was, however, shocking that the PDP was selling Nigeria
and Nigerians short for party nomination in spite of all the gory episodes that
the country was going through.
Ojudu said it had planned to use Wednesday’s sitting to call for a
resolution compelling Jonathan to, as a matter of urgency, protect
the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
He added that the plan could not sail through because senators elected
on the platform of the President’s party did not allow the Senate to sit.
“It is rather unfortunate that we are busy chasing rats while our roof
is burning. The senators elected on the platform of the APC wish to let
Nigerians know that we are ready to work, but our PDP counterparts are
arm-twisting us because they are in the majority,” the Senator said.