I was approached to replace Senate deputy president Ekweremadu – Abaribe alleges

– Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said he had been approached to replace Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president

– Abaribe said the move was one of the efforts being made to break the unity of the South-east lawmakers

– He said he was clearly told that the position was not the exclusive reserve of Enugu state

Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, chairman of the South-east Senators’ Forum disclosed that he was approached by some people to replace Senator Ike Ekweremadu as deputy senate president.

This Day reports that Abaribe claimed 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.

Abaribe disclosed this in Enugu while speaking at a one-day workshop for the presentation of the performance report of the 2017 Federal Capital Budget and South-east states organised by the South East Governors’ Forum.

He however claimed that 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 state but I made it clear that Ekweremadu represents our collective interest,” he said.

Meanwhile, TRACK NEWS had reported that senators from the southeast have accused Senator Ali Ndume, some other All Progressives Congress senators and cabals of being responsible for the travails the deputy Senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, faced at the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The southeast lawmakers in a statement on Monday, August 6, criticised Ndume for allegedly suggesting that the agency was treating Ekweremadu with kid gloves.