There is pressure on the Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, and Senator Heineken Lokpobiri from Bayelsa State to dump the Peoples Democratic Party for the opposition All Progressives Congress.
The pressure on Ndoma-Egba, representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, and Lokpobiri, who represents Bayelsa West Senatorial District in President Goodluck Jonathan’s home state of Bayelsa, is part of a grand plot by the APC to take over control of the upper legislative chamber.
Although it could not be confirmed how many aggrieved PDP senators are likely to toe the line of Ndoma-Egba if he eventually caves in, reports also indicate that most of those who lost in their bid to return to the Senate in the recently conducted primaries for the 2015 February elections, have been offered tickets by the APC.
Should the aggrieved PDP senators take up the offer, this would see the APC having the majority of seats, a development likely to rattle the Presidency and signpost what to expect in the coming general elections.
This latest plot by the senators is however a clear rejection of the President’s plea to aggrieved PDP members not to abandon the party and is being interpreted as a bold effort to challenge the leadership of the National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu.
A national leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the party’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, are said to be at the forefront of the team reaching out to the aggrieved lawmakers, with some of the aggrieved PDP senators working assiduously to ensure its success.
Sources close to Ndoma-Egba confirmed on Monday that the aggrieved senator had been approached by the leadership of the APC at the highest level.
Ndoma-Egba was, however, said to have insisted on remaining in the PDP.
Lokpobiri could not be reached for comments.
