Senate President under pressure to declare defectors seats vacant

Senate President, David Mark is under immense pressure from Peoples Democratic Party loyalists to declare the seats of the defected Senators vacant.

Sources familiar with the plot say the intention is to declare the seats of the 11 Senators vacant and then install increased security at the National Assembly to prevent the Senators from re-entering the chambers until a court decides on the fate of the Senators.

Senate President David Mark is said to be uncomfortable with the strategy and is not expected to carry it out, although analysts are still observing the situation which remains ongoing.

The defected senators are Senator Bukola Saraki-Kwara Central, Senator Umaru Dahiru-Sokoto South, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe -Rivers South-East, Senator Wilson Asinobi Ake-Rivers  West, Sen. Bindawa Muhammed Jibrilla-Adamawa North,  Sen. Mohammed Danjuma Goje-Gombe central, Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan-Taraba North, Sen. Mohammed Ali Ndume-Borno South, Senator Mohammed Shaba Lafiaji-Kwara North, Sen. Abdulahi Adamu-Nasarawa West, and Senator Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir-Sokoto East.

One source told Nation, “The PDP believes that the Senate leadership should brave the odds and declare the seats of defecting senators vacant – in line with the spirit and letters of the constitution.

“The party is of the opinion that the court should determine the fate of the defecting senators.

“As part of the plot, once the seats of the affected senators are declared vacant, the police and security agencies will disallow them from entering the hallowed chamber of the Senate, until there is a ruling by any court.

“And since the wheel of justice is very slow, it is technically assumed that the affected senators have completed their tenure.”

Another said, “The PDP is going for the kill because of the threats which defectors might pose to its majority grip on the Senate.

“The only challenge the party is having is the senate president who, as a democrat, does not believe in recourse to draconian action.”

An APC senator said: “Our caucus will do everything to resist plans to subvert the nation’s democratic process. It would amount to lawlessness for PDP to embark on such a wild goose chase.

“Already, there is a subsisting matter in court on defection of some members of the National Assembly. The Senate has a tradition to defer to the court process until the final determination of all issues.”