Aggrieved PDP senators to join APC

Aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party senators said on Friday they had made up their minds to formally defect to the All Progressives Congress whenever the Senate resumed from its current Christmas/ New year holidays.



They, however, said they would defect individually according to the Senate rules unlike their 37 colleagues in the House of Representatives, who defected in group last December.

The senators told our correspondent in separate interviews that they would present their letters of defection one after the other, which the Senate President, David Mark, would be expected to read as personal letters.

Speaking through his Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Bankole Omisore, the Senator representing Kwara Central Senatorial District, Dr. Bukola Saraki, said arrangements had been concluded for his formal defection when the Senate resumes.

He said, “I can tell you that Senator Bukola Saraki is committed to APC. The people of Kwara, whom we represent, have endorsed the (defection) move and there is no going back.”

The senator said he could not speak of other senators but maintained that it was certain that his letter of defection would be read on the floor of the Senate very soon.

He said “The process to officially effect the defection has been perfected and it would be concluded once the Senate resumes in the next few weeks”

Senator Shaaba Lafiagi, who told our correspondent that he was outside the country, declined comments on the issue but pledged to make his position known whenever he arrived the country.

Senator Magnus Abe on his part also expressed his resolve to defect to the APC no matter the situation.

He, however, said he would not disclose his strategy for defection on the pages of newspapers.

Abe said, “What I have said, which I will still continue to maintain is that I am moving over to the APC but how I am going to do it and when I am going to do it are a strategy that I will keep to my chest”

Other aggrieved senators who spoke on conditions of anonymity also stated their resolve to defect before the end of January.

They said the threats that their seats would be declared vacant would not stand because a legal process had been instituted to address the issue.

Our correspondent learnt that the Senate president was being persuaded by the leadership of the PDP and the presidency to enforce the provisions of the Senate rules by declaring the seats of the affected senators vacant.