What we discussed with President Buhari - APC senators
- President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to continue to support the legislature
- Senator Lawan said the APC will be in power in 2019
- He said some PDP members were also planning to join the APC
Senators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who met with President Muhammadu Buhari have given details of their meeting.
The senators met with the president on Wednesday, July 25, on the heels of the mass defection of some APC governors to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Premium Times reports that Senate leader Ahmed Lawan who spke on behalf of the senators said they briefed him on the number of people who have left and that the APC is still in the majority.
READ ALSO: President Buhari, your son has returned home - Senator Tejuoso makes U-turn to APC
He said: “We informed Mr President of how we stand in the Senate. As at today, the Senate APC Caucus is 53 in number followed by the other minority parties.
“The PDP is the largest minority party with 48 senators and then the ADC with 2 senators, APGA has two senators and we have two vacant seats which were occupied by APC senators who are late now. By the special grace of God, APC will retain those seats and that will take our majority to 55.
“Less than 24 hours into the defection, we had some discussions with some of our colleagues who defected and they have shown their willingness and interest and readiness to retrace their steps.”
Lawan said some PDP senators have also indicated their interest in joining the APC.
“I want to say that what has happened in the National Assembly yesterday, particularly in the Senate was supposed to be a disagreement in the family, but I think there was a misjudgment. When you disagree, you don’t kill or break the entire house or burn it down, you normally sit down and look for solution and way out.
“Going forward, therefore, we believe that this family will get back all its members and for those that have remained in the Senate APC caucus, will definitely receive the kind of attention and support from our party and administration.”
READ ALSO: What we discussed with President Buhari - APC senators
Lawan insisted that the APC has done well in its campaign promises, adding that the Buhari-led administration will end as a very successful one.
He said: "So far we have done so much with so little in terms of giving development and infrastructure across the country.
“2019 will be the year that this administration will be given a renewal by Nigerians and the National Assembly will witness a higher majority of APC in both Houses by the grace of God and of course, across the states, we will have more states.
On the president’s reaction, Lawan said: “What do you expect when children come to their father and their leader? He was happy to receive us, extremely delighted and of course he has shown his willingness to continue to support the legislature in the implementation of our programmes as a government, as a party.
He believes in the separation of powers, like we all do. But we must have a relationship that will be characterised by interdependence rather than emphasis on independence; by partnership, cooperation, consultation and coordination. And we will give him everything that he requires to ensure that he succeeds.”
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Meanwhile, Senate president Bukola Saraki has reportedly said his chances of leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC) are “very, very high.”
According to Daily Trust, the Senate president made this comment to Reuters on Tuesday, July 25.
Saraki’s comment is coming just as some senators and House of Representatives members on the platform of the APC left for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress.
Nigeria News: Will Senators, Lawmakers’ Defection from APC Change Power in 2019? On Legit.ng TV
Source: Legit.ng
