Lawan Denies Sitting On APC Senators’ Defection Letter

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has denied sitting on letters reportedly written by some senators on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking to defect to opposition parties.

A statement by Ola Awoniyi, his Special Assistant on Media described the reports as utter falsehood.

Reports had emerged during the week that about 12 senators in APC had written letters to Lawan notifying of their intentions to leave the party.

The reports further said Lawan got the letters but refused to act on them.

Responding to the reports, Lawan said,”We have seen a story on social media and some online newspapers purporting that the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, is sitting on letters from some Senators allegedly intimating him of their defections from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The story insinuated that Lawan is sitting on the purported letters to protect his position as the President of the Senate.

“We hereby state categorically that the story is utter falsehood as there is no such letter before the Senate President,” he stated on Saturday.

He added that, “The report mentioned only Senator Adamu Bulkachuwa as one of the affected Senators.

“Obviously, the purveyors of the syndicated lies had not even bothered to confirm from the Distinguished Senator if and when he submitted any such letter to the Senate President.

“It is public knowledge that the Senate President has always promptly read out at plenaries letters by Senators defecting from one party to another.

“The Senate President is sufficiently knowledgeable about the rules and workings of the Senate and has been discharging his responsibilities within the ambit of those rules.

“That is why he has continued to enjoy the confidence and full cooperation of his fellow Distinguished Senators irrespective of party affiliations.

“Apparently, some vested interests want to magnify challenges to sow seeds of discord in Parliament in promotion of their selfish agenda.

“We wish to reiterate that the Senate President is not withholding or sitting on any letter of whatever content from any of his Distinguished Senator colleagues.

“Therefore, any story purporting such exists only in the imagination of the mischief makers circulating it.”