Crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC , over the selection of principal officers for the Senate, Tuesday deepened as the meeting of the caucus members of the party in the upper chamber ended in deadlock.
At the meeting of the Senators to address the problem, some senators engaged in physical combat bringing the meeting to an abrupt end.
According to a source, the parley held behind closed door in Meeting Room 3:01, had about 40 Senators in attendance as Senator Danjuma Goje, Gombe Central, led the group loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki, while Senator Barnabas Gemade, Benue North East, led the group loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawan.
“I appeal to you all to let us do those things that will unite us than do those that will divide us. For me, I am ready and desirous, as colleagues to work with all of you in order to provide that focused leadership in the Senate and National Assembly as an institution,” Saraki noted in his opening speech at the meeting.
Despite Saraki’s appeal, a source told Vanguard that Senators loyal to the Senate President proposed that principal officers must emerge through an electoral process, conducted by Zonal caucuses, which will then present winners to the Senate President by Tuesday, for announcement at the plenary, the next day.
The Unity Forum, a group of Senators loyal to Senator Lawan, however, disagreed, insisting that only names nominated by the APC leadership for the offices must be adhered to.
There was a melodrama when Senator Kabir Marafa, Zamfara Central and Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Ondo Central were involved in fisticuffs over their opposing positions.
At the meeting of the Senators to address the problem, some senators engaged in physical combat bringing the meeting to an abrupt end.
According to a source, the parley held behind closed door in Meeting Room 3:01, had about 40 Senators in attendance as Senator Danjuma Goje, Gombe Central, led the group loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki, while Senator Barnabas Gemade, Benue North East, led the group loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawan.
“I appeal to you all to let us do those things that will unite us than do those that will divide us. For me, I am ready and desirous, as colleagues to work with all of you in order to provide that focused leadership in the Senate and National Assembly as an institution,” Saraki noted in his opening speech at the meeting.
Despite Saraki’s appeal, a source told Vanguard that Senators loyal to the Senate President proposed that principal officers must emerge through an electoral process, conducted by Zonal caucuses, which will then present winners to the Senate President by Tuesday, for announcement at the plenary, the next day.
The Unity Forum, a group of Senators loyal to Senator Lawan, however, disagreed, insisting that only names nominated by the APC leadership for the offices must be adhered to.
There was a melodrama when Senator Kabir Marafa, Zamfara Central and Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Ondo Central were involved in fisticuffs over their opposing positions.
Vanguard gathered that Senator Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara) and other Senators intervened, saving the ugly situation from degenerating further.
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