APC senators walk out as Ekweremadu presides over Senate

The All Progressives Congress (APC) senators yesterday threatened to stay away from the Senate at any session presided over by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.
Ekweremadu, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, emerged as the Deputy Senate President in a Senate with APC as the majority party.
The Enugu West senatorial representative for the first time since his controversial election on June 9 presided over Senate session yesterday, following the absence of Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
Saraki, it was said, went to the Presidential Villa, Abuja for the inauguration of the ministers by President Muhammadu Buhari.
During the session, some APC lawmakers led by Senators Ahmed Lawan and George Akume stormed out of the chamber immediately they noticed that Ekweremadu was to preside.
It was not clear initially why Lawan and Akume walked out, but a statement by the Secretary of the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North), threw light on the development.
Lawan and Akume are leading members of the Senate Unity Forum, a group that supported Lawan to vie for the Senate president.

Senator Hunkuyi’s statement is titled: ‘As President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurates the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the change agenda, PDP takes over the hallowed chamber of the Senate.’
It reads: “We notice with joy the inauguration of the FEC by the President, Commander-in-Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, today, November 11.
“Finally, the change agenda has cleared the coast to stand up the integrated development of the APC- formed government.
“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 a very sad development that must be denounced by well-meaning APC members and leaders alike.
“With this, to show our protest as APC senators of the Eight Senate, we wish to announce that we shall cease attend any sitting presided over by the PDP in an APC majority chamber of the Eight Senate.”
Hunkuyi told reporters after the walkout that he does not recognise Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President.