Senate mandates Mark to seek legal advice on defecting senators

The Senate on Wednesday  mandated its president, David Mark,  to seek legal advice on the right steps to be taken on  matter of defecting Senators of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was part of the resolutions taken by the upper chamber during a closed door section, during which it also agreed to suspend  plenary for two days to allow its committees begin work on the 2014 Appropriation Bill.

The bill scale through the crucial second reading at the Senate's plenary on Tuesday.

Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, briefed  journalists on the outcome of  the session.

He said,  'The Senate had a closed-door session this morning on matters that affect the wellbeing of this country. I can affirm to you that the interest of the country was put first in the discussion and the discussions were fruitful', Abaribe said.

'I can confirm to you that on the matter of those who want to defect, the issue was also discussed during the closed-door session and it was resolved that the Senate, the senate president in particular, would have to seek further legal advice because of the serious legal issues that was thrown up during the discussion.

'The legal issues relate to both the interpretation of the Constitution and the interpretation of our rules within the Senate. More time was given for further consultation. It was also resolved that when the Senate resumes plenary on Tuesday that Senate will look into the issue. What happens about the question of the Constitution and Senate Rules is that they are subject to the interpretation by whoever is interpreting it'.