PDP senators: Our confidence in Saraki stands

Some senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday said the opposition party still has firm belief in the leadership of Senate President Bukola Saraki and will continue to support him in his ongoing his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT).

The lawmakers said though they remain unhappy with the ministerial confirmation of Rotimi Amaechi, former Rivers state governor, such issue ought not create difference among them.

The senate was divided along party lines during the exercise on Thursday, with the PDP lawmakers staging a walk out.

In an interview with NAN, George Sekibo (PDP Rivers east), who led the opposition against Amaechi’s confirmation, said the lawmakers have put the disagreement behind them.

“As far as senators are concerned, what happened yesterday has passed; we are not working for political parties, but for the entire nation,” he said.

“When the time comes to express the wish of your people, you do that and that is what we did yesterday.

“We didn’t get it, so we let it go so that the country can move forward; we cannot hold the country to ransom.”

On whether the PDP senators will turn their backs against Saraki, particularly during his trial, Sekibo said: “The code of conduct case is against an individual and not APC. We gave him our support in the spirit of esprit de corps”

On his part, Gershom Bassey, a PDP senator from Cross River, corroborated the account of Sekibo.

Bassey said members of the red chamber have twice passed vote of confidence on Saraki’s leadership and there “is no going back”.

“We have had two votes of confidence on him and they stand. He has the confidence of the senate and there is absolutely no problem,” he said.

“In spite of the disagreement between the APC and PDP senators, nothing has changed. In democracy, people must have different points of view and we must express those points of view. We must continue to discus different points of view; it is important that we have different points of view, but that does not mean we are enemies.

“The senate is not a football team that we all have to play in the same direction. The senate is a vibrant senate that has a lot of vibrant debates.”