PDP warns APC not to try removing Deputy Senate President

monjola sotubo

January 13, 2017 11:55 AM

The warning was issued by PDP spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, via a statement released on Thursday, January 12.

Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) that any attempt to remove Deputy Senate President,

The warning was issued by PDP spokesman, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, via a statement released on Thursday, January 12.

The statement reads:

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to Senator Kabiru Marafa on the floor of the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, January 11, 2017, in which he advised Senator Ike Ekweremadu to defect to the APC in order to remain as the Deputy Senate President.”

“This call is unconstitutional, undemocratic and, to say the least, unbecoming of Senator Marafa. There is no section or clause of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) that provides that one must be a member of the ruling party before he/she can be elected into any position in the Senate or the House of Representatives.

“Equally, it is very distasteful and uncharitable for any senator to stand on the floor of the hallowed chamber and ask his colleague to violate the constitution by cross-carpeting from his own party to join the ruling party. Note that it is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the Senate of the APC.

“It is indeed laughable for Senator Marafa to cite the internal issues in the PDP as a reason for Senator Ekweremadu to defect. For the umpteenth time, let us reiterate that there is no faction in the PDP. A party is only factionalized when its organs are in disarray but this is different from what we have in the PDP where all the organs are intact behind the National Caretaker Committee under the chairmanship of Makarfi.

“A mere rebellion by a small interest group within the party cannot be referred to as factionalization of the party. Senator Marafa or any other member of the APC has no power to make such demands on a member of the PDP.

“Any attempt to remove Senator Ekweremadu for being a member of the opposition party and not because of a constitutional breach or incompetence is a call for anarchy.”

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Some APC Senators had urged Ekweremadu to defect to the ruling party or risk losing his seat after the removal of Senate Leader, Ali Ndume on Tuesday, January 10.

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