By Nuel Suji, Abuja.
Twenty eight senators who were absent at the Tuesday inauguration ceremony were sworn-in Wednesday by the new President of the Senate, even as wife of former governor of Lagos State, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu snubbed Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki at the occasion.
The senators are those that were at the International Conference Centre venue of their planned meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari while the election of the President of the Senate was going on in the National Assembly.
The APC had rejected Saraki’s election, threatening to sanction the Senate President and his APC loyalist senators for defying the party’s directive and its choice of candidate for the seat.
This was even as the point of order raised by 51 senators of All Progressive Congress (APC) for integration was rejected by Senate President, Senator Saraki.
Among the 28 senators, Saraki administered oath of office and allegiance on , were Sen. Ahmad Lawan (Yobe), his main rival in the race for the seat, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu (Lagos Central), Sen. George Akume (Benue), Sen. Barnabas Gemade (Benue), Sen. Shehu Sani (Kaduna), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu ( Nasarawa West).
The Ahmad Lawan-led group of senators had for the purpose of taking the oath of office , mobilised themselves to the chamber as early as 8:30am waiting for the senate president, to formally swear them in as senators.
The senators, after the votes and proceedings of the previous legislative day were adopted, took turn to take their oaths by reading the statement of oaths out aloud, after which they appended their signatures.
It was gathered that by protocol, each of the newly sworn-in senators were expected, after taking their oaths, present a copy of their certificate to the senate president and in turn, shake hands with him.
The protocol was duly followed by others except Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, (Lagos Central ), who refused to shake hands with Saraki but merely showed him, her certificate and grudgingly walked out on the senate president murmuring.
However the Senate session continued with approval of the motion moved by the deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP Enugu West) for the Senate to officially through a letter, inform President Buhari of the election of Saraki and himself as President and Deputy President of the 8th Senate.
EKweremadu in the adopted motion, also required the Senate to send a congratulatory message to the newly elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Also included in his motion , was the need for the Senate to send a written message to notable international organizations like African Union( AU), Commonwealth Parliamentary Association ( CPA), Inter Parliamentary Union ( IPU), ECOWAS Parliament , Pan African Parliament etc, that a quorum of the Senate of the 8th National Assembly has assembled and ready to receive any communication.
Meanwhile the Senate has adjourned sitting to 23rd of this month through a motion moved by the Deputy Senate President, Ike EKweremadu and seconded by Danjuma Goje ( APC Gombe Central).
