Even as the Senate’s spokesperson, Senator Aliyu has continued to paint the Senate in colours of peace, the indications that the power tussle between the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) and the opposition, People’s Democratic Party (PDP)  may continue to cripple activities in the Senate is becoming stronger now as more facts have emerged that the APC’s vow to boycott every session handed over to Deputy Senate President, Ekweremmadu to preside over remains solid even after their caucus meeting, yesterday..
Facts behind Senate’s inability to sit whenever the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was not on ground have also shown that it was not just on solidarity course as assumed but because the APC majority has vowed never to sit in a session presided over by the PDP’s  Deputy Senate President , Ike Ekweremmadu.
The PDP’s caucus , The Tide gathered, in reaction to this development,  are not ready to take the issue lying low but are considering various options aimed at getting them due or undue advantage through situation.
According to a PDP Senator who spoke under anonymity, “If APC continues to leave the chambers for PDP,  whenever Ekweremmadu Presides, we shall have an ultimate option of turning our supposed loss to gain. Once quorum has been ascertained at the beginning in of a session, leaving the chambers or not changes nothing.
Recall that all these days the Senate President, Bukola Saraki went for CCT or court sessions, the Senate chambers remained closed, with many believing it was all in solidarity with one of their own
However the events of last Wednesday where members of the APC lawmakers in the Senate, including some principal officers like the Chief Whip of the Senate, Shola Adeyeye, former Deputy Minority Whip, Abu Ibrahim, among others, walked out on the Deputy Senate President when he was called upon to preside over the Senate, to enable the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, attend the swearing in and inauguration of the new Federal Executive Council (FEC) by President Mohammadu Buhari.
The aggrieved Senators accused the Senate President of a plot to handover the Senate to the minority party in the chamber.    .
Though the plenary session continued because many of the APC senators, including the Senate Leader, Ali Ndume, Kabiru Gaya, Ibin N’ala, among others, as well as majority of the PDP senators were present, the Senate President apparently, was forced to return to the Chambers to preside over the remaining part of plenary session.
In furtherance of their threat, one of the staunch anti Saraki Senators, Sen. Sulaiman Hunkwui, issued a statement saying that the APC senators will reject any attempt to hand over the Senate to the opposition PDP.
The statement read in parts “In equal stance, we notice with grave sadness, the handover of the hallowed chamber of the Senate today to the opposition party the PDP, by the Senate President to Ike Ekweremadu as the PDP helmsman to preside over the majority membership of the APC led chamber.
“It is very sad development that must be denounced by all well meaning APC members and leaders alike. With this, to show our protest as APC senators of the 8th Senate, wish to announce that we shall seize to attend any seating presided over by the PDP in an APC majority chamber of the 8th Senate.”, the statement concluded.
The Senate immediately after reacted to the allegation that there was a plot to handover the Senate to the PDP, saying there was no such conspiracy in the Senate.
In a statement issued by the Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Senate said the alleged conspiracy is a figment of imagination of those who claim that there was such conspiracy.
While urging Nigerians to disregard the allegation, the Senate reiterated its “commitment to providing robust legislative actions to support the change agenda of the President Mohammadu Buhari government”. Bi partisan stand of the Senate has not and will not be an impediment”.