Defections: Senate Leader insists APC still in majority, hopeful of colleagues return

…insists APC still in majority

Sen. Ahmed Lawan, Senate Majority Leader has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership will work to ensure the return of its Senators that defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He stated this while speaking with newsmen after a closed- door meeting with Mr Adams Oshiomhole, the APC National Chairman on Tuesday in Abuja.

Lawan added that the APC cacus in the Senate would work with the party’s leadership to ensure that the defected senators return to its fold.

The President of Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki had earlier, announced the defection of 15 APC Senators to the PDP and other political parties.

“We came to brief the party’s leadership about what happened today at the Senate,” the Senate Majority Leader said.

He added that they would try to explain to the party’s senators who defected and give them the comfort they required while assuring them that the APC was the best to work with.

This, he said, was especially so because the party had a President who had remained focused and had done so much with little resources to improve the lots of Nigerians.

“He is busy providing infrastructure in this country, infact, Nigeria is today, a construction site and I believe that every Nigerian should support this type of President.

“At the end of the day, we are hoping that our colleagues who have left us will come back to this party to continue in the nation building process,”the Senator said.

He further said that the APC reconciliation was a continuous process,adding that it would however, take some time to reconcile all those who were aggrieved within the party.

Lawan maintained that there was no alternative to reconciliation and consultation,stressing that the party’s leadership would get back its members.

According to him, the PDP has no future because it mis-ruled Nigeria and embezzled its resources.

“I will be surprised if anyone wants to associate with this kind of party,our colleagues are clean people and should have nothing to do with PDP at all.

He added that in spite of the defection of 15 APC to opposition parties, his position as Senate Majority Leader was not in contention.

“If you look at our senate rules, the party with the majority of seats provides the majority leader, you do not need a mathematician to tell you that we are in the majority,but that is not the issue.

“It is not about the office of the majority leader, but for our colleagues working together and facing the same direction as progressives to make Nigeria better.

“It is about giving the president the support he requires and for the party to continue to provide the kind of leadership we need, that is what we are looking for, “he said.

He added that though the APC had lost some of its colleagues to the PDP and to other political parties,it still retain the position of the number one party.

“Presently, we have 53 Senators, PDP has 49, African Democratic Congress (ADC) has three, APGA has two and we have two vacancies resulting from the loss of our colleagues in Kastina and Bauchi.

“Those were APC seats, very safe seats. On August 11 a by-election will be held and by the grace of God APC will claim the seats and the majority of the APC will increase and improve,” he said.