From FRED ITUA, Abuja
Fresh facts have emerged on what transpired, on Tuesday evening, when the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) met with senators elected on the platform of the party.
Though the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, told journalists that the meeting was robust and addressed salient issues affecting the working relationship between the Senate and the executive, Daily Sun has however gathered that the deliberations did not go smoothly.
It was learnt from a Senator who attended the meeting, that lawmakers accused the party leadership of double-standard, over the removal of Senator Ali Ndume as the Senate Leader.
The lawmakers, it was reliably gathered, queried the party leadership why it did not defend them after carrying out its bidding, by removing Ndume.
Lawmakers who took their turns to express their frustrations, said they were instructed by the NWC of the party to effect a leadership change in the Senate.
They said Odigie-Oyegun and others instructed them to remove Ndume and replace him with Ahmad Lawan, in line with its earlier stance.
They wondered why the leadership of the party refused to defend their action, instead, opted to join others in ridiculing them.
It was learnt that APC lawmakers, loyal to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, spearheaded the move against Odigie-Oyegun and others. It could not be immediately ascertained the lawmakers who spoke on the issue.
The senator who spoke with Daily Sun, declined to give names.
Ndume was suspended last week by the Senate, following the adoption of a report Senator Samuel Anyanwu-led Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions committee which probed the former Leader.
On Tuesday, thousands of protesters stormed the Senate to challenge the suspension of Ndume. For several hours, they barricaded the entrance to the National Assembly.
Since Ndume was suspended, he has not granted any press interviews to either challenge the Senate’s decision or otherwise.