PDP senators boycott Amaechi’s screening

Senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday disagreed over the screening of Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state.

The disagreement ensued when PDP minority leader, Godswill Akpabio, raised a point of order on Amaechi’s screening when the report on the petition against him was yet to be considered.

Akpabio insisted that it was the rules of the senate that when the committee on ethic and privileges submits its report on a petition against a nominee, it must be considered before screening.

To that end, the minority leader said the PDP senators would not participate in asking the nominee any questions until the report of the committee was considered in the ‘committee of the whole.’

The committee headed by Sam Anyanwu (PDP), laid its report at plenary on Thursday.

However, the disagreement deepened when the Ali Ndume, majority leader of the senate, in response to the point of order, said that if the PDP would not ask questions, then the APC might ask the nominee to “bow and go”.

He said the nominee, having been a speaker for eight years and a governor for another eight years had proved his competence could be asked to “bow and go”.

But as he moved to clarify his point, some APC senators started shouting: “take a bow and go”.

Senate President Bukola Saraki had to intervene by cautioning his colleagues to stick to screening of the nominee rather than bantering.

Only the APC senators asked the nominee questions.

Meanwhile, the PDP leadership in the senate left the red chambers immediately after the screening of Amaechi, leaving only Abiodun Olujimi, deputy minority whip.

But the minority leader returned shortly and the PDP senators joined the process, questioning other nominees.