PDP congresses: Saraki shuts Senate for one week

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Thursday adjourned plenary for one week to enable members of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the chamber, to attend the ongoing party’s congresses.

The Senate did not consider any motion or bill as the number of senators present during the day’s plenary was not up to the required number to form a quorum.

The absence of senators mostly from the PDP fold compelled the Senate to hurriedly adjourn.

The Senate stipulates that quorum is formed for plenary when one-third (at least 37 senators) of the Senate members are in attendance.

All the senators present on Thursday were not up to 37 and they were mainly members of the All Progressives Congress.

The PDP senators had gone for their party’s local government congresses which took place on Wednesday.

The Leader of the Senate,  Senator Ali Ndume, after considering the votes and proceedings of Wednesday, moved that plenary be adjourned to the next legislative day and his position was overwhelmingly supported by all the senators in attendance.

Saraki, who presided over the brief plenary, thereafter adjourned plenary to Thursday, May 12.

Meanwhile, the crisis rocking the Ogun chapter of the PDP deepened on Thursday as the party held parallel congresses across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

The congresses monitored by one of our correspondents, took the same pattern as the ward congresses held last Saturday which was conducted by three different factions.

The three factions, which conducted the separate congresses at separate locations across the state, were still the same three emerging power blocs. They are headed by the senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District at the Senate, Buruji Kashamu; a former Speaker, House of Representatives,  Dimeji Bankole; and the representative of Remo Federal Constituency in the lower chamber,  Oladipupo Adebutu.

In  Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Kashamu’s faction held its own congress at Igbore Townhall, Bankole’s faction held its congress at the Ake Palace, while Adebutu’s faction held its congress inside the Centenary Hall.

The same scenario played out in other LGAs across the state.

 The congresses were, however, peaceful in spite of the separate exercises where different sets of new leaders emerged at the various locations.

Some of the newly emerged executives who spoke with one of our correspondents decried the emergence of factions within the party and called on the national body to intervene in the crisis and re-unite the three factions.

Each of the factions had claimed legitimacy of being the authentic one.

The Chairman of the Congress Committee for Ogun,  Alhaji Mohammed Al-Yakub, however, denied knowledge of parallel LG congresses in the state.

He said he was only aware of those held at designated centres.

He explained further that he had divided the 11-man committee into three to monitor the exercise in the three senatorial districts of the state.

Al-Yakub  said reports he got from the field  indicated that the exercise was smooth and peaceful across the state.

He said, “I am not aware of any parallel congresses in Ogun, because we have designated centres for each local government. I have also sent members of the committee to monitor the exercise across the three senatorial districts and they said it was peaceful and smooth.

“I believe that this congress will produce leaders who will restore the lost glory of the party in Ogun and wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress.”