The Peoples Democratic Party said on
Wednesday that it was not plotting to
present David Mark as a candidate for
the Presidency of the Eighth Senate.
Rather, it said the All Progressives
Congress, which won majority seats in the
Senate, would be allowed to present
candidates for the office.
The party said this remains the norm that in
every assembly, the party with the majority
members presents leadership at the
National Assembly.
Successor to the incumbent Senate
President, David Mark, is expected to
emerge in Abuja on Thursday when the
National Assembly would be inaugurated.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr.
Olisa Metuh, told journalists in Abuja on
Wednesday that the party was not part of
the alleged plot to usurp the normal norms
at the National Assembly where the party
with the majority of elected senators or
members of the House of Representatives
are denied from presenting leadership at the
National Assembly, let alone the Senate.
He also said this issue was not part of the
issues raised and discussed at the party’s
retreat which was held for elected members
of the party in Port Harcourt earlier this
week.
According to Metuh, “That was not part of
the PDP retreat for members of the National
Assembly in Port Harcourt. PDP has no
such plot to upstage the All Progressives
Congress in presenting leadership at the
National Assembly.
“The truth is that it was not discussed at all
at the Port Harcourt retreat. The truth is that
we have no candidate for Senate President
or Deputy Senate President.
“The truth is that we are ready to present a
credible opposition to the All Progressives
Congress as the ruling party. We wish
President Muhammadu Buhari success and
hope he would be able to turn around the
economy.”
Metuh added that the Port Harcourt retreat
only commended Senators David Mark and
Ike Ekweremadu for stabilising democracy
and National Assembly during their tenure
as President and Deputy President of the
Senate respectively.