Lawan: I’m not withholding APC senators’ defection letters

Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has denied stopping the senators elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from defecting from the party.

Lawan described as “falsehood” the reports making the rounds that he stopped the senators who have informed him of their defection from the ruling party.

The Senate President made this known via a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media, Ola Awoniyi.

Reports had earlier emerged that Lawan was withholding the purported letters to protect his position as Senate President.

Awoniyi, however, stated that the “story is an utter falsehood as there is no such letter before the Senate President.

“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.

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“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 the 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,” the statement read.

The Star