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Senators abandon plenary for election campaigns

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Many senators who have been cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission to contest the 2019 general elections stayed away from plenary on Tuesday, forcing the red chamber to adjourn till next week.

The chamber needs at least 37 senators to carry out legislative activities at plenary but our correspondent observed that 20 members were seated at the commencement of the day’s session.

The Minority Whip, Senator Phillip Aduda, who moved the motion for the adjournment, citing order 10 (3) of the senate rules, explained that most of the members were not at plenary because they went on oversight functions.

Investigations by The PUNCH correspondent, however, revealed that many of the senators might have stayed away to enable them to carry out necessary preparations for their campaigns starting on Sunday.

One of the senators, who was not at plenary, told The PUNCH correspondent on the telephone that he was in his village strategising towards his campaign.

The senator, who spoke on conditions of anonymity said, “INEC will officially lift the ban on campaigns latest by November 17. I have the responsibility to launch my campaign next week and I have started the preparations already.”

The PUNCH, November 14, 2018

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