Chidi Samuel
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), senators on Wednesday staged a walk-out from the floor of the senate during plenary to protest the defection of Senator Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The floor of the senate became at the announcement of the defection of the PDP senator to rival APC as PDP senators insisted that the Ondo South seat be declared vacant in line with the provisions of the relevant laws relating to party defection. It would be recalled that Senator Omogunwa announced his defection to the APC on the eve of the Ondo governorship election held last Saturday.
Bukola Saraki, the Senate President who read Omogunwa’s letter explained that the Ondo South Senator defected as a result of the current crisis ravaging the Peoples Democratic Party. However, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the senate minority leader argued that since Omogunwa had defected to the APC, his seat ought to be declared vacant.
Akpabio, therefore, called on his colleagues not to encourage “political rascality”, stating that the seat belonged to PDP and since the Supreme Court has recognized Senator Ahmed Makarfi as the leader of the party, it cannot be said that there is crisis in the party. He therefore asked the senate president to declare Omogunwa’s seat vacant but Dr. Saraki declined, and ruled him out of order.
Following the refusal of the senate President to declare the seat vacant, Senator Akpabio led his fellow PDP senators to a walk out from the floor of the senate.
