Senators on Tuesday dismissed any plan to change the leadership structure of the Senate against the background of the merger of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
For the first time in the history of the Seventh Senate, the leadership graciously suspended plenary to allow the APC Senators attend ‘a board meeting of the party’ in Abuja.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba and the Senate Whip, Hayatou Bello Gwarzo told newsmen that the merger would have no effect on the chances of the PDP in retaining the National Assembly and the Presidency in 2015.
Ndoma-Egba described the merger as ‘regrettable’ while Gwarzo said the decision of the defecting governors was merely ‘politics’.
“It is a significant development, though regrettable. It will certainly redefine our politics but the comfort is that the PDP is strong enough to rise to any new challenge, including this development,” the Senate leader said.
On his part, Gwarzo said the Senate chamber handled matters of national interest, not based on partisan leanings.
Said Gwarzo: “I can tell you that the PDP is becoming stronger and stronger everyday. No individual can say he was the one who made PDP. The party is a combination of so many politicians coming together to have a common front. So it is with other political parties. In 2015, nothing will deter us from winning that election. We will win the majority in the Senate; we will win the majority in the House of Representatives; we will win the Presidency on the PDP platform.
“In politics, we believe in permanent ideology, no permanent friend or permanent enemy. It was the decision of the governors to defect. The decision is theirs. To me, it’s all politics. You can belong to any political party you so wish.”
