Defection: Senate shuts out journalists

The Senate resumed proceedings on Tuesday behind closed-doors obviously to prevent coverage of the defection process by 11 of its  members by the media.

Tension became high around 10:15am when the senators were seen exchanging hot words over the absence of Senate President David Mark.

The decision by Mark to attend the Council of state meeting, was seen by the opposition as a deliberate plot by the senate leadership to frustrate the 11 aggrieved PDP members from defecting.

Members of the All Progressive Congress and the 11 aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party in the senate were seen openly protesting the alleged plot by Mark to halt the reading of the defection letter on his table.

National Assembly correspondents covering the senate who had anticipated a major showdown during the plenary, were ordered out of the gallery while security operatives locked all entrances.

The closed-door executive session lasted about 30 minutes when issues of the defection letter had been resolved.

Details of what transpired during the session were not known as at the time of filing this report.

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, did not brief journalists after the plenary, contrary to his normal practice.

None of the affected aggrieved senators contacted also volunteered any form of information after the plenary.

Meanwhile investigations by our correspondent revealed that the aggrieved senators would meet with Mark in his residence on Tuesday evening. Punch