TheCable

John Oyegun, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the removal of Ali Ndume as senate leader was a “necessary act” that had to be done to unite the party in the upper legislative chamber.

On Tuesday, Bukola Saraki, senate president, announced that Ndume had been replaced as the senate leader with Lawan.

Speaking when he received Ahmed Lawan, the new senate leader, at the APC national secretariat on Monday, Oyegun said that with this development, the crisis in the party was over.

“It is important to mention that the former senate leader was not removed as a result of any misdeeds on his part or as a result of loss of confidence of his colleagues, but as a result of a necessary act that had to be done to reunite the senate,” the APC national chairman said.

“We appreciate the service that he rendered to the senate and the sacrifice that he has made is necessary for the national assembly, the party and for the nation to move ahead.

“The party will give you all the support and will work together and ensure that the things that need to be done are done to move this nation forward.”

Speaking with journalists later, Lawan said he did not know of an alleged plan to oust Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, from his office.

“I don’t know about that. I have no idea,” he said when asked if his emergence was a threat to Ekweremadu.

“All l know is that my colleagues in the senate APC caucus held a meeting and decided that l should be made the senate leader and that happened Tuesday last week as you all know.

“We are looking forward to working together in a very brotherly and fraternal manner in the senate indeed with other senators from other political parties like the PDP and other parties. I don’t have any idea if anybody is try to impeach someone in the senate.”