Senate Leader: Some Defected APC Senators On Their Way Back

The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, on Wednesday night claimed that some of the senators that defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress on Tuesday have already expressed their desire to return to the fold.

Lawan made the claim in an interview with State House correspondents shortly after leading about 43 senators elected on the platform of the party to a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He also claimed that some Peoples Democratic Party senators have also expressed their desire to join the ruling party.

He said, “Let me say that even from yesterday, 24 hours into the defection, we had discussions with some of our colleagues who defected and they have shown their interest and willingness and readiness to retrace their steps.

“So, we are working very hard with our national leadership to ensure that we engage with our colleagues that defected and that we reach some understandings that will enable them to come back home very soon.

“Even the PDP senators, there are some that have shown willingness to come into the APC fold.

“Our party is working hard to ensure we engage them and enable them to come into the fold.”

Lawan said what happened in the National Assembly, particularly the Senate, on Tuesday was supposed to be a disagreement in the family but there was a misjudgment.

He added, “When you disagree, you don’t kill or break the entire house. You have to sit down and look for solutions. We believe that this family will soon get back all its members.

“We have resolved to continue to support the President and our administration to ensure that we fulfil all our campaign promises to Nigerians.

“The President was happy to receive us and showed his willingness to continue to support the legislature in implementing our programmes as a government and party.”

Lawan said the lawmakers told Buhari what happened in the National Assembly and reassured him that the APC still has the majority despite the defection.

A senator from Kaduna State, Shehu Sani, said he was not under any illusion that the issues he had with the party had been completely resolved.

He said there was nothing wrong in staging a revolt, adding that the APC itself is a reflection of a revolt.

He said the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, inherited what he described as civil and cold wars from his predecessors.

Shehu however expressed the belief that all issues causing friction in the party would be resolved.

He said, “I am here as a member of the APC caucus in the Senate. My presence here does not mean that my issue has been resolved 100% but I am of the belief that we have a leader in the party who is doing everything possible to see that the problems that we have that led to a revolt are resolved.

“Revolt is most necessary at times. In fact, APC itself is a reflection of revolt. It revolted against the system of iniquity, and today it is in power.

“I am here because I believe in the leadership of the party. I believe also in the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. I also believe there are no issues that we cannot solve as human beings, as men of conscience.

“I believe that the discussion we have had here is reassuring, soothing and comforting that a process has started to heal the wounds and address issues that led us to where we are today.

“We must recognise the fact that the problem the new leadership of the party is trying to solve today was something that ought to have been solved a year or two years ago.

“The chairman inherited both a civil war and a cold war in the party and he is doing everything to solve the problem. I am of the belief that a forum like this is a big step forward. I am here because I believe in the process.

“I believe the leadership can solve the problems.”

Oshiomhole said it was reassuring to hear from the Senate Leader that the APC still maintains the majority in the National Assembly.

The former Edo State Governor claimed that many of those who defected from the party feasted on misinformation.

He expressed the hope that truth will prevail and they will retrace their steps.

He said, “It is a very good day day. We have 53 senators out of 107. Honestly, we are comfortable. Over the next one or two weeks, we hope to recover the two we lost through deaths.