The warring camps in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday forged a united front against plots to remove Sen Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president.Both Sen Ahmed Makarfi and Sen Ali Modu Sheriff, in separate declarations condemned calls for Ekweremadus defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain his seat as DSP.Following the shock removal of Sen. Ali Ndume as senate leader, Senator Kabiru Marafa on the Floor of the Senate on Wednesday, had advised Senator Ike Ekweremadu to decamp to the APC in order to remain as the Deputy Senate President.But Sen Makarfi-led PDP described the call as unconstitutional and undemocratic, adding that any move to remove Ekweremadu would be call for anarchy.While its spokesman Prince Dayo Adeyeye stressed that the senate does not belong to the APC, he stated that the deputy senate president was democratically elected by a majority of members in cut across the PDP and APC.In their reaction, the Sen Ali Modu Sheriff-led PDP, warned against any attempt to intimidate Ekweremadu out of office.The spokesman of Sheriffs camp, Bernard Mikko said I think the Senate can routinely change their leaders based on Senate standing rules & orders, but I am not sure if defection from one party to another is a condition or eligibility to retain an office when elected.It may be an allure, blackmail crude intimidation. In an ideal democratic practice, you dont weaken an oppositional party to strengthen the ruling party.However Adeyeye in a statement said there is no section or clause of the Nigerian Constitution (1999 As Amended) that provides that one must be a member of the Ruling Party before he/she can be elected into any position in the Senate or the House of Representatives.He added Equally, it is very distasteful and uncharitable for any senator to stand on the Floor of the Hallowed Chamber and ask his colleague to violate the Constitution by cross-carpetting from his own Party to join the Ruling Party. Note that it is Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not Senate of the All Progressive Congress (APC).Describing Senator Marafas claims of internal issues in the PDP as a reason for Senator Ekweremadu to decamp, Adeyeye said For the upteenth time, let us re-iterate that there is no faction in the PDP.A party is only factionalized when its organs are in disarray but this is different in the PDP where all the organs are intact behind the National Caretaker Committee under the chairmanship of H. E. Senator Ahmed Makarfi, CON. A mere rebellion by a small interest group within the Party cannot be referred to factionalization of the Party.In view of the above, any member of the PDP using the current leadership disagreement caused by the Rebellious Group led by the former Borno State Governor, Senator Sherrif to decamp is doing so at his or her peril. Senator Marafa or any other member of the APC has no power to make such demands on a member of the PDP.Let us remind Senator Marafa that Senator Ike Ekweremadu was elected as Deputy President of Senate by majority votes from both the PDP and APC senators. Any attempt to remove Senator Ekweramadu for being a member of the Opposition Party and not because of a constitutional breach or incompetence is a call for anarchy.The current situation in the Senate where the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President are from different parties should not continue to appear strange to Senator Marafa and his likes in a democratic system. For instance in the Second Republic, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Umezeoke was from opposition NPP while the Senate President was from the Ruling Party, the NPN, and both of them worked harmoniously with the cooperation of the Executive in moving the Country forward.Finally, we call on our members in the National Assembly to remain strong and united behind the Deputy Senate President with determination not to allow the APC truncate our hard earned democracy through their undemocratic tendencies. To the APC lawmakers in the National Assembly, do not forget that Nigeria belongs to all of us and we must work together to protect her in order to advance our democracy.
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