Vote Of Confidence Motion: No crisis in Senate

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Godiya Akwashiki, said the motion on “Vote of Confidence in the Senate” that was stood down on Wednesday has nothing to do with any crisis in the upper chamber.

He stated this while answering questions from journalists in Abuja.

The motion which was listed on the Senate’s Order Paper of Wednesday was stood down by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, during plenary.

The motion was sponsored by Kashim Shettima (APC-Borno Central).

Mr Akwashiki said there was no crisis in the red chamber and as such there was nothing to worry about the vote of confidence in the leadership of the Senate which was stood down.

“It is a vote of confidence and not a vote of no confidence.

‘A vote of confidence is moved when members of a group are in support or in total agreement with the leadership.

“I see no big deal in the motion being stood down. I want us to exercise patience and wait for the day that the motion would be mentioned on the floor of the Senate.

“I won’t speak further on it because it is a vote of confidence. I would speak more if it was a vote of no confidence and the Senate president decided to use his power as presiding officer to stand down the motion.

“Those who are moving the vote of confidence are in total support of the leadership, so it is not a serious issue.

“On the 36 senators comprising 25 APC and 11 PDP members listed as co-sponsors of the motion, it is a normal thing.

“All of us are in total agreement of the motion but we cannot all have our names in the motion.

“If all of us should put our names on the list, then it’s no longer a motion.

“Our loyalty to the leadership is total and complete,” he said.

(NAN)