SENATORS MOCK APC, ADJOURN SITTING OVER PARTY’S NEC MEETING
SENATORS
MOCK APC, ADJOURN SITTING OVER PARTY’S NEC MEETING
Nigerian Senate Chamber used to illustrate the story.
Senators
held a brief comical session on Tuesday moments before the plenary was
adjourned.
The
lawmakers agreed to adjourn plenary to allow senators of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) attend their National Executive Council meeting.
The
comedy started when the Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, moved the motion for
adjournment moments after a point of order was entertained.
Mr.
Lawan said, “Mr. President, very distinguished colleagues, today, the All
Progressives Congress, the ruling party.”
He was
however cut short as members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) drowned his
voice with the remark ‘All Progressive Crises.”
“It’s
All Progressives’ Crises, not Congress,” they taunted him.
It took
the presiding officer, Ike Ekweremadu, a member of the PDP, some minutes to
calm the chamber from the rounds of laughter that followed the interruption.
After
gaining attention again, Mr. Lawan continued, “Mr. President, very distinguished
colleagues, the ruling party, the APC is holding its NEC and it has already
started. As a very time-conscious party, Mr. President, our colleague senators
on this side are representatives of the chamber, the APC caucus and because of
this, I want to plead with all our colleagues here across party lines to show
the understanding just as we have shown understanding when the minority party
PDP have to go for congresses or whatever.
“Based
on this, Mr. President, very distinguished colleagues, I move that we stand
down all the items on the order legislative day, to enable our colleagues to
attend the NEC of the ruling party, I so move.”
Again,
his motion was followed by whimsy remarks from the PDP senators.
“Too
many crises” “we agree”, they continued to taunt their APC colleagues.
Deputy
Minority Leader, Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba-PDP) who seconded the motion
humorously wished his APC colleagues ‘safe landing.’
“Mr.
President, distinguished colleagues, before I second, the motion, I want to
join my colleagues from the other side sincerely and wish them safe landing,”
he said.
Another
round of laughter which went on for minutes interrupted his speech.
After a
partial decorum, he continued, “That the number of policemen we have are short
because of crises. I don’t how many we’ll dispatch there to supervise. So, Mr.
President, having advised as such, I pray that there will be a safe landing.”
In
similar fashion, Mr. Ekweremadu before putting the question also threw a
banter.
“Very
distinguished colleagues, I want to thank the minority leader and the minority
members for their understanding, you know when your neighbour’s house is on
fire, you must allow him to go and quench it.”
The
senators adjourned the plenary after a voice vote.
President
Muhammadu Buhari is expected to chair the NEC meeting slated for today ahead of
the party´s National Convention.
At the
meeting, members are expected to discuss national issues, the crises within the
party and take a decision on when its National Convention would hold.