The senate on Monday adjourned plenary for lack of quorum to reconvene after the governorship and state assembly elections as well as the Easter break. The senate will resume plenary on April 14.

The senate had resumed for plenary after about two weeks break for the Presidential and National Assembly elections but on resumption, members that attended the plenary were less than thirteen which made the Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba, PDP, Cross River Central to call for adjournment.

Meantime, with the results of the National Assembly election that was held last Saturday show that the All Progressives Congress, APC, now has the majority number with 63, while the Peoples Democratic Party that used to dominate is now in the minority with 46 Senators.

Senator Ndoma-Egba said that “I have taken stock of Senators and I doubt if we have formed quorum. I call for adjournment till April 14 for members to participate in the governorship and state assembly elections and for the Easter break.”

Speaking before the adjournment, the Senate President, David Mark, who presided over the plenary said, “We are all glued to the TV at the moment, I think it is going to be difficult for us to form a quorum the whole week.
“But in any case, because of the various political activities and the normal Easter break, I think it is only appropriate for us to resume the first Tuesday after the gubernatorial and States Assembly elections. I think that is the bases on which the senate leader made the proposal.”

Briefing journalists after the adjournment, the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba explained that “By our rules the quorum is made up of one-third of the membership and we didn’t have the numbers today and I believe the reasons are obvious.

“We are in the middle of very intense political activity. Elections held a few days ago, results are still being announced, quite a number of Senators participated and they certainly couldn’t be here. So, we didn’t have the numbers and without the quorum, you cannot take any decisions including approving the votes and proceedings.

“So, we have to quickly adjourn to enable members go and listen to the outcome of the presidential and other elections. And immediately after that is Easter and followed by the next line of elections. So, practically, it will be impossible for Senate to reconvene before the April 14.”

The Senate Leader advised Nigerians to be lawful in their conducts and not to take the laws into their hands, adding that election was a process, no matter the outcome, after the process, there will still be further processes to be followed in accordance with the law.

Meanwhile, some of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senators have claimed that the loss the party was subjected to in some states was self-inflicted problem, the consequences of impunity.

A PDP Senator from the North Central that spoke to Vanguard on the condition of anonymity said that because the party surrendered its structure to the state governors, there were anger and frustrations among party members and the only way to express it was through protest votes which the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, was the beneficiary.

“The Senator said, “Watch, the worst results are about to be announced. This is to put a stop to the impunity.”

We’ve deposed most corrupt party in Africa —Sen. Adeyeye

Speaking in an interview, Senator Sola Adeyeye, APC, Osun Central who was fuming that the Senate President denied him the opportunity to contribute during the debate on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, MTEF, and the 2015 Appropriation, said he was happy to now belong to the largest party in Africa.

He said, “I am a member of the largest party in Africa and we have just deposed the most corrupt party in Africa. The South west has shown itself again. From 1951, the South west has never been monolithic. The only time that the Southwest came close to being monolithic was 1979.

“In the 50s, the Southwest was split between the Action Group and the NCNC. When you look at the votes return from the zone, you see the only place in the south where there is pluralism of choice. When you get to where you find in the south – East and South-south where 90 percent are voting, for one party, you ask yourself, what kind of democracy is this?”

“I am proud that the Southwest has continued to live in tradition of political liberalism where from the same community, you can have 55 percent to 45 percent. That was how it was with Azikiwe and Awolowo. Zik, an Igbo man, was contesting from the Mushin area of Lagos in Yoruba land. Zik almost became premier of Western region in 1952.

“The wish of the people must prevail in this election. Anybody who does not allow the will of the people to prevail would be consumed by the wrath of the people and would become history. The winner must be declared to avoid chaos.”
By the last count, the PDP that used to be the majority in the senate has 46 Senators while the APC now dominates with 63 Senators.

It was gathered that most of the PDP Senators from the North lost their seats to the opposition APC.
Lack of quorum stalls plenary at House of Reps

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