Senator Shuaibu Isa Lau of Taraba North is now the Deputy Minority Leader in the Nigerian Senate.
On Tuesday, Senate President Ahmad Lawan read a letter from the PDP’s National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, announcing Senator Lau’s appointment as the upper chamber’s new Deputy Minority Leader.
He was selected by the Peoples Democratic Party Minority Caucus on Tuesday to replace Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South), who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress last Thursday (APC).
Bwacha was welcomed into APC by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House before Buhari departed for Addis Ababa.
Bwacha’s switching to the APC has further skewed the balance of power in APC’s favour.
There now 70 APC Senators, 38 PDP Senators and one Young Progressives Party (YPP) Senator.
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha cited Order 42 to announce his defection from the opposition @OfficialPDPNig to the ruling @OfficialAPCNg.
He claimed there were huge division and factionalisation in the Taraba State Chapter of the opposition PDP.
He was thereafter officially recognised as a member of the APC amid congratulations from members of his new Party.
Lawan directed the Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, to take Bwacha to his new seat on the section of the isle reserved for members of the ruling party.
Kalu promptly carried out the instruction even as members of the minority PDP kicked against the development.
Lawan congratulated Bwacha: “Let me congratulate you for taking the most deserving decision to flow along with your constituents who have seen the real thing on the ground.” –
“What you have related here is that you have seen the presence of infrastructure in your constituency and your people have identified with the infrastructure and they ask that you see the light and you have seen the light.”
Senator George Sekibo cited a Constitutional Point of Order, Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to raise objection to the defection of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha from the opposition @OfficialPDPNig to the ruling @OfficialAPCNg
Senate President @DrAhmadLawan, in his response, cited Order 20(G) of the Senate Standing Order to rule against the Point of Order cited by Senator George Sekibo.