The Senate, on Thursday, refused to acknowledge the notice of defection brought on the floor by Senator Bukola Saraki.
The former governor of Kwara State raised a Point of Order under the Senate Standing Order 15, which stipulates that a matter of privilege shall be given urgent attention by the Senate.
The Senator was seeking the leadership of the Senate to read the notice of the lawmakers’ defection from the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Wednesday.
Saraki informed the red chamber that, “a notice by a letter was communicated yesterday (Wednesday) to your Chair on notification of the change of political party by myself and 10 other senators from the platform of the PDP to the APC. So, I felt that it was necessary for me to bring to your attention that the letter has not yet been read.”
Reacting to the Point of Order, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided over the proceedings on Thursday, stated that the matter could not be treated on the floor because of the absence of the Senate President, David Mark.
“The Senate President had travelled and before he travelled, he told me you had a discussion with him and agreed to have a meeting on Monday. Unfortunately, this is my own understanding of your dialogue with him and he is not here. So, I believe that we would stand down any issue relating to that until he comes back,” Ekweremadu told Saraki.
However, this did not go down well with him and the other 10 Senators, who insisted that the letter must be read today.
They were however pacified to continue with the Appropriation Bill presently before the Senate.
