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Showdown Imminent in Senate As Saraki is Set to Wield Big Stick Against Akpabio, Others

Published

8 years ago

August 12, 2018

Eric

The nation may witness yet another showdown in the Senate as the senators cut short their vacation to discuss President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 polls budget request.

Apart from the fact that constant fierce arguments between members of the All Progressives Congress and the opposition Peoples Democratic Congress will be a regular occurrence, SUNDAY PUNCH investigations have revealed that a major step to send some senators back home would cause a major uproar in the red chamber.

A source, who is very close to the leadership of the Senate, confided in one of our correspondents on Friday that arrangements were being perfected to ensure that the former senate minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, and others who defected recently from the PDP to the APC and other parties recently face a recall process.

The source hinted that the move against the defectors started just before the Senate went on recess, with the refusal of the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, to read the letter of defection submitted to him by Akpabio.

No fewer than four senators have dumped the PDP but their defections have not been declared on the floor of the Senate. While three of them left the PDP for the APC, one of them left for the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

For instance, senators Hope Uzodinma (Imo State) and Fatimah Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti State), formerly of the PDP, have been attending APC meetings and events within and outside the Senate.

Also, Senator Sonny Ogbuoji (Ebonyi State) recently introduced himself as the “the newest catch” of the APC when the National Working Committee of the party met with the Senate caucus.

Similarly, Stella Oduah (Anambra State) had joined APGA in Anambra State.

Shortly after the defections of 14 senators to the PDP were announced, the APC Caucus had addressed journalists where the Majority Leader, Senator Ahmad Lawan, while responding to a question on why the party listed those who had yet to formalise their defections at the Senate, said they only needed to register with the ruling party.

Lawan had said the public appearance of Uzodinma and Raji-Rasaki with the APC caucus members had answered the question.

There, Uzodinma alleged that he had written to the Senate President to declare his defection on the floor but his letter was not read.

“I am a bona fide, registered, financial card-carrying member of the APC. As you are aware, two months ago, I wrote to the leadership of the Senate. The duty to read it is not mine. But I am now a member of the APC,” he said.

Raji-Rasaki also said, “Recently, I have made it open and public to all Nigerians that I’ve moved from the PDP to the APC. I have done it in my ward and I have done it here.”

The Punch

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

19 minutes ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.

Featured

Shiites Protest in Kano over Killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Eric

Members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, on Sunday, took to the streets of Kano metropolis to protest the killing of the Supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following a joint attack by the US-Israel on Saturday.

The demonstrators, who are simply known as Shiites, trooped out in their numbers at about 2.30pm in and trekked from the Fegge Central Mosque the Islamic Movement headquarters situated at Kofar Waika in the State capital.

The demonstration, adjudged peaceful, lasted for about two hours, terminating after 4.00pm.

The demonstration was followed by speeches by their scholars that spoke about the state of affairs in the Middle East and its implications on the rest of the world. A special prayer was also offered seeking Allahs intervention for the people of Iran.

The Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abudulhi Haruna Kiyawa, resisted attempts to persuade hims for official reaction to the demonstration.