APC pushes Ekweremadu into tight corner over Senate position

Seems the majority All Progressives Congress senators in the Senate will not rest until Senator Ike Ekeremadu of the minority Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is booted out of the seat of Deputy Senate President.

What had before now been discussed behind closed-doors and in hushed tones among party members has been openly declared.

The thrust of the new agenda played out when two APC Senators during plenary on Wednesday, which was presided over by the Deputy Senate President himself, told him without mincing words that he has the option of abandoning his party PDP and joining APC or lose his position as Senate number two.

The call came just as former Senate Majority Leader Ali Ndume, who while speaking on Order 43 to express his grievances over the way and manner he was sacked, predicted that the next target after him could be Ekweremadu.

One of the senators, Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central) told Ekweremadu point blank to join APC or lose his seat as deputy senate president.

He stated this as he moved a motion for the adoption of the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday’s plenary.

Just as Marafa was landing, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (APC, Nasarawa West), who seconded the motion, also made the same demand that Ekweremadu either join APC or lose his position as the Deputy Senate President.

However in his reaction, Senator Sonni Ogbuoji (PDP, Ebonyi South), branded the demands by the APC senators as a joke, frowning that the APC would want Ekweremadu to dump the PDP when he was not yet done with the party.

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Meanwhile, Marafa had a day earlier told select journalists at the Senate, shortly after Senate Majority Leader was sacked that the APC caucus’ next action plan will be how to get back the seat of the Deputy Senate President.

He told the newsmen that the only thing that may deter APC caucus from achieving that goal will be that Ekweremadu defected to the APC.

While the ruling party, which had wanted Ahmed Lawan, the new majority leader as Senate President may have forgiven Saraki and his perceived plot with the PDP senators that made him become Senate President, they are not ready to allow Ekweremadu, a PDP senator, continue as the Senate Deputy President.

Ripples Nigeria gathered, that the national leadership of the APC was said to have recently wrote Saraki demanding that he cede four positions in the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Senate Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip, to the SUF members loyal to the party.

The four positions the party refers to, are all held by APC members except the Deputy Senate President position which Ekweremadu, a PDP member occupies.

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