The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has warned aggrieved senators elected on the platform of the party that they risk losing their seats if they dump the party ahead of the 2023 general election.
The APC senators were reported to have been aggrieved over their inability to get the party’s return ticket to the upper chamber of the National Assembly in 2023.
The Star had reported that the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, recently met with the party’s senators at the National Assembly complex behind closed doors.
Speaking to newsmen after the meeting with the senators, Adamu said it was a usual occurrence during the election period but it was enough for him as a leader of the ruling to worry over the loss of any member.
He added that he was not sure if the problem of defection would persist in the party but he had met with the APC senators, stressing that he believed the issue was surmountable.
This was just as President Muhammadu Buhari said the leadership of the ruling party will sustain the “hearing and healing process” that it started to ensure fairness, justice and oneness before the 2023 general election.
Buhari said the complaints of the APC senators were received by some members, saying machinery had been put in place by the National Working Committee (NWC) to address their various concerns.
However, it was gathered that the Senate leadership met with the senators and urged them to put the interest of the party over and above all grievances and considerations.
Sources at the parley disclosed that the principal officers told the senators of the implications of their defection and vowed not to allow such a development ahead of the 2023 general election.
It was further learnt that the federal lawmakers themselves fear that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not be able to fulfill its promise of rewards for them if they defect now as there is no guarantee that the opposition party will be victorious in the 2023 elections.
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According to TheNation, most of the aggrieved APC senators said they were waiting till after the Sallah break to see the outcome of the intervention of President Buhari in the matter.
A senator from the North-East said: “So far, PDP has made it clear that it cannot offer us the same tickets denied us by APC.
“Some of the leaders cited the Electoral Act 2022 which doesn’t allow a defector to replace a candidate already elected and presented to INEC. A replacement can only be from within PDP.
“The offers from PDP were limited to ministerial, board and some ambiguous appointments if the party wins the next presidential election. Only a foolish politician will place his hope on uncertainty.
“We still have chances in APC if we allow President Muhammadu Buhari to address the injustice we complained about.”
Another senator said: “Some of us are having a second thought on defection because of the crisis of confidence between PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and some stakeholders.
“It is obvious that PDP has a bigger problem at hand and it might go into the election divided. This is a landmine.
“From the situation, some PDP governors have opened collaborative talks with APC.
“Though the negotiations are still at preliminary stage, they cannot be wished away,” he stated.
A senator from the South-West said the “decision of President Muhammadu Buhari will determine our next step. We want to see how he will address the different forms of injustice we highlighted.
“I think we will wait till after the Sallah break before we know our fate. For now, we are watching developments.”
On his part, a senator from the North-West said: “I am not defecting to any party again. I have not seen a viable alternative.”
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