The matter has dragged on for over 2 weeks in a back and forth manner as the lawmakers searched for a political solution to the stand-off. A point of order by Senator Bukola Saraki was all that was needed to reopen the matter as soon as the senate resumed plenary.
“Mr. president, distinguished colleagues, I would like to bring it to the attention of the Senate that myself and 10 other senators have notified our change from being senators of the PDP and now joined the APC”, he started but was very quickly ruled out of order.
The matter is in court, thus the Senate president stuck to the Senate order that forbids discussion of matters in court.
The Nigerian Senate president, David Mark said, “The matter is in court, I shall have no further discussion on it because their order is very clear no reference shall be made to a matter that is in the law court. Therefore I rule you out of order”.
This statement by the senate president, however, did nothing to abate the flow of objections of senators of the opposition party, APC.
The Senate minority leader, George Akume quickly rose to revive the matter.
“They have a right to move”, Senator Akume insisted but the Senate President remained steadfast in his decision.
“Because your explanation does not satisfy and meet the requirement of order 14 I rule you out of order”, the senate president replied.
Mark’s unyielding prompted the affected lawmakers from PDP to resort to a new strategy. One after the order, they openly announce that they have joined APC, renouncing the PDP and declaring their loyalty for the APC.
Senator Aishatu Al-Hassan, stood and announced, “Mr. president, like my other colleagues I want to inform this haloed chambers and my colleagues that I have moved from the PDP to the APC”.
One by one the Senators stood and renounced the ruling party while laying claim to the major opposition party, APC.
Though the Senate President told them they would need to fulfill all what is required before they can make the move and with that all there action are rendered null and void and of no consequence to the Senate, it was glaring that the Senators had no intention whatsoever of regarding his “out of order” rulings.
A bit of drama was attempted by some APC lawmakers urging one of their own Senator from APC to cross to PDP. What these would have suggested is that while it is easy to move from PDP from APC, the Senate leadership is resisting movement in the opposite direction.
The matter is in court and the political solution to have it resolved does not seem to be working quite well. The Senate President overruled on it, but clearly the last has not been heard concerning the matter.
- See more at: http://aitonline.tv/post-david_mark_disregards_letter_of_defection_from_defecting_senators#sthash.xgr1s6jf.dpuf