Chairman of the South-east Senators' Forum, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, on Tuesday in Enugu said he's been approached by unnamed persons to show interest in replacing Senator Ike Ekweremadu as the Deputy Senate President.
Abaribe said the move was one of the efforts being made to break the unity of the South-east lawmakers in order to effectively clip the wings of Ekweremadu.
The senator spoke as the Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) vowed to show the embattled Deputy Senate President the exit door in the coming general election, insisting that four-terms in the Upper chamber of the National Assembly has been dismal.
The APC said rather than allow Ekweremadu for the fifth time, they would support President Muhammadu Buhari’s Adviser on Justice Sector Reform, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu, to represent them, saying the Deputy Senate President has overstayed his welcome in the National Assembly.
But, speaking at a one day workshop for the presentation of the performance report of the 2017 Federal Capital Budget and South East State organised by the South-east Governors' Forum held in Enugu, Abaribe said senators from the zone remained united.
"We are united in one purpose and we have demonstrated that by ensuring that Ekweremadu remains the Deputy Senate President. I've been approached severally to take the position and I said no.
"I was clearly told that the position was not the exclusive reserve of Enugu but I made it clear that Ekweremadu represents our collective interest," he said.
On their part however, the APC said when zonal and local government executives of the party in Enugu State visited Ibekaku-Nwagwu in her country home, Egede/Umuoka Ward in Udi Local Government Area of the State.
The factional Chairman of the APC, Deacon Okey Ogbodo, said that the party’s visit was to appreciate and encourage Ibekaku-Nwagwu for her outstanding and quality representations so far displayed as the Special Adviser to President Buhari on Justice Reform.
Ogbodo applauded her for working very closely with the Attorney General of Federation, Abubakar Malami, to bringing quality legal reforms and policies that in the sector.
Ogbodo also applauded her as the National Coordinator of the Open Government Partnership, noting that Enugu state is very proud of her to have taken the initiative from obscurity to greater height.
He called on Ibekaku-Nwagwu to consider participating in the race for the Senatorial seat of Enugu West zone of the State as the 2019 General Election approaches.
Ogbodo said: “APC in Enugu state frowns at the selfish posture of the current occupant of the seat who has overstayed his welcome as the Senator representing Enugu West at the senate in the past 16 years.
“We have quality candidates who can offer better representation for the zone and we therefore urge Barrister Juliet Ibekaku-Nwagwu to consider presenting herself among others during the forthcoming party primaries.”
In her response, Barrister Ibekaku-Nwagwu attributed her success in the discharge of her duties to the conducive working environment created by President Buhari.
She assured party faithful that she would make up her mind on the 2019 Senate election and communicate properly at the right time.
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