Nigeria's senate minority leader resigns

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria’s senate minority leader has resigned from his position amid speculations he might officially defect from the opposition party to the ruling party on Wednesday.

“This letter is to formally inform you of my resignation as the Senate Minority Leader with effect from August 4, 2018,” said Godswill Akpabio of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a correspondence to the Deputy Senate Minority Leader Emmanuel Bwacha.

His resignation comes two days after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari and another senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu.

Local newspapers say Akpabio will be received into the ruling party on Wednesday in his oil-rich south-south Akwa Ibom state. A presidential spokesman has confirmed Akpabio is certain to quit the opposition PDP after he fell out with his political godson Emmanuel Odom, governor of the state.

Akpabio’s resignation is seen as a move to force Senate President Bukola Saraki to resign from his office following his defection from the ruling party to the PDP.

Although there's no local law requiring him to step down, APC stalwarts insist Saraki must resign since the ruling party still has majority in the Senate and ought to produce the Senate president in line with democratic conventions.

Saraki has ignored the resignation calls.

On Tuesday, masked security operatives were seen blocking access to the parliament building in the capital Abuja. Saraki had called a meeting of parliamentary leaders to hold on Tuesday amid pressures on the lawmakers to approve funding for next year's election.