Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Ita Enang, has come under criticism of some of his colleagues for saying that any serving legislator, who defected from the party on which platform he or she was elected into the Senate would have his or her seat declared vacant.
Enang, on the heel of the proposed defection of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had, on Thursday, addressed a press conference in Abuja, where he said such lawmakers risked losing their seats if they eventually defected from the party.
However, the Senate, on Friday, distanced itself from what it said was the personal opinion of Senator Enang.
Senate spokesman, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, in a statement in Abuja, also debunked reports that tend to align the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, to the statement credited to Enang.
Abaribe said the report was wholly Enang’s personal opinion “to which he is entitled to and has nothing to do with the Senate as a chamber of the National Assembly.”
He further added that the statement had nothing to do with the Senate president who, he said, had, in a statement, assured that the leadership of the PDP would work to keep the party intact and prevent further crisis in the party.
“In the first place, there is no acrimony in the Senate, irrespective of political party affiliation. The Senate is still on vacation, to resume on Tuesday, January 14 and only after its deliberations would any statement on urgent matters of state be issued.
“It is therefore preposterous to attribute the personal opinion of a senator to represent the resolution of the Senate and its highly respected leadership as exemplified by Senate President Mark.
“Senate position as statutory is always relayed by its spokesman, in which case it becomes safe to say that Senate has spoken,” Abaribe said.
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