Magu: Senate APC, PDP Caucuses Hold Parallel Meetings Today

Barring any last minute changes, the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party caucuses in the Senate will be meeting with the leaders of their parties today.

While the APC caucus’ meeting with the National Working Committee of the ruling party is billed to discuss the disagreements between the upper chamber of the National Assembly and the Presidency, the PDP caucus is also expected to discuss the same issue with the opposition party’s leaders.

It was learnt on Monday night that another issue on the agenda of the meetings was the rejection of the nomination of the Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, by the Senate.

A competent source in the Senate told our correspondent that the ruling party’s lawmakers, who are in the majority in the Senate, had been losing their grip on issues in the chamber.

The source said, “This will be the first time the APC caucus will be meeting with leadership of the party since the 8th Senate was inaugurated almost two years ago. That is why you see a conflict of interest on critical issues, which they should have discussed together, are treated in the Senate. Even within the caucus, the senators are not on the same page on certain issues.”

“The PDP caucus will also holding a similar meeting tomorrow (Tuesday). They are also most likely to discuss Magu’s issue and other matters in the Senate,” the source added.

Some members of the APC caucus, however, expressed their grievances with the leadership of the ruling party.

While the APC leadership was said to be angry with the lawmakers for allegedly not pursuing the interest of the party and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, some members of the caucus said the party had failed to mobilise them for major decisions in the Senate.

A member of the APC caucus from the South-West, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “Since the beginning of this administration, our party has never held a meeting with the National Assembly caucus. We have always been on our own, doing our own thing. How then could we have known where the party stands on Magu? We did not know what the party wanted on Magu when we had to take the decision. Remember, when it comes to party structure, we are a critical block of the party. I feel ashamed for what happened.”

Another APC senator from the North-West said, “The truth is that since we assumed office, never has there been a day where they will even call us for a cup of coffee. Not a cup of coffee! Not even to call us and greet us. So, everything is on autopilot. This is the situation we are in now. Everybody is just on their own.”

Punch