- Why he may find it difficult to move to PDP
- Bitter pill Senate president must swallow
Indications have emerged on why the much-anticipated defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki from the ruling All Progressives Congress to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has suffered a setback.
Speculations had been rife that Saraki was already on his way back to the PDP following a gale of defections that rocked the ruling APC a few days ago, with some senators moving to the
PDP.
Meetings have been held on what will be the fate of Saraki immediately he defects from APC. He cannot be in PDP and lead the house, since APC has the majority. And once he defects , he has to step down, and following this, you know what will happen
However, the senate president had put his anticipated defection on hold for a reason best known to him.
But a reliable source within the APC senate caucus has confided in our correspondent
that a frantic decision by the remaining APC senators has held Saraki ‘hostage’ in the
party.
According to a source, the remaining APC senators have held a meeting where it was concluded that Saraki must step down as the Senate President immediately he defects to the
PDP.
He added that since the APC still maintain simple majority at the upper chamber, the odds still favour them on any agreed decision.
“It is better that we know who and who (the) real senators of our party are. As it is, APC still maintains simple majority in the house and that gives us the edge. Meetings have been held on what will be the fate of
Saraki immediately he defects from APC. He cannot be in PDP and lead the house, since APC has the majority.
And once he defects , he has to step down, and following this, you know what will happen. The meeting with the president has made all APC senators more united now and they are ready to face the ‘war,’” our source
said.
It was also learnt that the Senate President might also be forced to quit his position if he is eventually dragged to court for trial by the police over the Offa
robbery case.
Saraki was grilled by police operatives at the National Assembly last week.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the APC from Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has said the mass defection that occurred on the floor of the National Assembly would, by no means, affect the party’s chance of returning to power in
2019.
Igbokwe, while speaking with our correspondent, said, “APC still has the majority, and that means we are still fully in control. Moreover, masses know our achievements and these will ease our coming back.
It will surprise you that some of the defectors will not come
back to the house because we will ensure that our candidates beat them in their
constituencies.”
He also said the APC was not a party of failure and would not fail in the bid to return to power and improve Nigeria’s democracy in 2019.
