A senator representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has revealed on how he was lobbied by some people to become the Deputy President of the Senate, if he could cooperate in the plot to remove Senator Ike Ekweremadu. Abaribe, who is also the chairman of the South East Senators’ Forum, made the revelation yesterday in Enugu. He said that when the offer was made to him to replace Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President, he rejected it outright.
Abaribe said the move was one of the efforts being made to break the unity of the South-East lawmakers in order to effectively clip the wings of Ekweremadu and also divide the senate. The outspoken Abia senator spoke in Enugu during a one-day workshop for the presentation of the performance report of the 2017 Federal Capital Budget and South-East State organised by the South- East Governors’ Forum. The senator maintained that senators from the zone remained united
“We are united in one purpose and we have demonstrated that by ensuring that Ekweremadu remains the Deputy Senate President. I’ve been approached severally to take the position and I said no. “I was clearly told that the position was not the exclusive reserve of Enugu but I made it clear that Ekweremadu represents our collective interest.”
Meanwhile, the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reiterated its resolve to show Deputy Senate President the exit door in the coming general elections.
The APC said rather than allow Ekweremadu for the fifth time, they would support President Mohammadu Buhari’s Adviser on Justice Sector Reform, Mrs Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu to represent them, saying that the Deputy Senate President has overstayed his welcome in the National Assembly. The factional Chairman of the APC, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, stated this when he led some of his factional executive members on a visit to Ibekaku-Nwagwu in her country home, Egede/Umuoka Ward in Udi Local Government Area of the state
Ogbodo said that the party’s visit was to appreciate and encourage Ibekaku-Nwagwu for her outstanding and quality representations so far displayed as the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Justice Reform.