With four days to the resumption of plenary by
the Senate, a feud between two zonal caucuses within the upper chamber
is brewing over the Peoples Democratic Party’s decision to zone the
Senate Majority Leader position to the South-South.
The North-East senators had on Wednesday rejected the zoning arrangement, alleging that it amounted to marginalisation of the zone.
They also threatened to make the Senate ungovernable should the Senate failed to cede the position, which is third in the hierarchy of the Senate, to the zone.
They also accused the PDP and the Senate leadership of trying to ‘Christianise’ the Senate, as all its top officers, namely, the President of the Senate and his deputy are Christians.
Spokesman for the caucus, Senator Heinekin Lokpobiri , in a statement on Thursday, said the posturing of the North-East senators was an attempt to arm-twist the Senate into changing the decision of the party.
He accused the North-East caucus of trying to “northernise the National Assembly,” stating that the that the zone had themselves to blame if they felt marginalised, since they allegedly traded off of the position of the Deputy Speaker.
Lokpobiri said, “The North-East zone got the position of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives but they traded it off on the floor of the House so why should they turn round to blame anyone.
“We are not prepared to join issues with any group or any of our colleagues but they should not take us for granted. We shall mind our business but let nobody insult our sensibilities.”
By Oluwole Josiah, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
The North-East senators had on Wednesday rejected the zoning arrangement, alleging that it amounted to marginalisation of the zone.
They also threatened to make the Senate ungovernable should the Senate failed to cede the position, which is third in the hierarchy of the Senate, to the zone.
They also accused the PDP and the Senate leadership of trying to ‘Christianise’ the Senate, as all its top officers, namely, the President of the Senate and his deputy are Christians.
Spokesman for the caucus, Senator Heinekin Lokpobiri , in a statement on Thursday, said the posturing of the North-East senators was an attempt to arm-twist the Senate into changing the decision of the party.
He accused the North-East caucus of trying to “northernise the National Assembly,” stating that the that the zone had themselves to blame if they felt marginalised, since they allegedly traded off of the position of the Deputy Speaker.
Lokpobiri said, “The North-East zone got the position of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives but they traded it off on the floor of the House so why should they turn round to blame anyone.
“We are not prepared to join issues with any group or any of our colleagues but they should not take us for granted. We shall mind our business but let nobody insult our sensibilities.”
By Oluwole Josiah, Abuja Courtesy Of: Punch
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