Drama in Senate as Chukwumerije defects to PDP

Details: Category: Politics; Published on Wednesday, 29 September 2010 04:49; Written by Punch; Hits: 1356

A mild drama played out on the floor of the Senate at its resumption on Tuesday as Senator Uche Chukwumerije announced his change of party affiliation.

In a letter to the President of the Senate, Chukwumerije informed the Senate that he had dumped Progressive Peoples Alliance for the Peoples Democratic Party.

The terse letter read, “It is my constitutional duty to inform your Excellency and the Senate that I am now a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.”

A loud murmuring from senators immediately started as David Mark finished reading the letter.

A point of order raised by Senator Ahmed Lawan of the ANPP to challenge the defection was turned down by the President of the Senate.

Another one by Senator George Sekibo tried to draw the attention of the Senate to the fact that Chukwumerije had been a severe critic of those moving from the minority parties to the PDP.

He said, “Chukumerije has always criticised those moving from that side to this side and now he is moving.”

But again, Mark ruled him out of order saying that since he came under the order for breach of his privilege, there was no evidence that the defection of Chukwumerije affected him as a senator.