The sudden defection of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, after weeks of dilly-dally may have been prompted by a query he allegedly got from the All Progressives Congress(APC) on Tuesday, which gave an impression that he was about to come under disciplinary action.
He was given 48 hours to defend his anti-party activities or face sanctions.
His pre-emptive action came on Tuesday as speculations gathered momentum that Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State will jump ship this Wednesday.
Many more will definitely throw in the towel and depart the APC in the next few days, a source said
The query issued to Saraki by the National Working Committee (NWC) and signed by the National Secretary of the party, Mai Maila Buni, alleged that he breached Article 21 of the APC Constitution with his activities.
It reads in part: “that you encouraged and facilitated by providing an enabling environment for the defection of some senators who are members of the APC to the other opposition Parties.
“That you have deliberately refused to screen nominees for appointments submitted by Mr President who are members of the party from being confirmed by the senate. This has caused untold embarrassment and ridicule to the party and the government.
“That you have organized a public rally in your state where members of the party urged you to decamp to PDP. That as a follow up to the above the Kwara state governor who is known to be your staunch supporter Had made public pronouncements suggesting that he will decamp from the party as an indicator to your formal defection.
“That you used the office of the senate President to cause avoidable delays in the budgetary process and passage of the appropriation act into law thereby frustrating the implementation of the party’s manifesto and programs and frustrating the APC-led Federal Government in the actualization of the campaign promises of the party.
“Converting the guest house of the Senate President to meeting points and presiding over anti-APC activities in the guest house and encouraging defection of senators from the party and presiding over such meetings and compiling a list of the said defectors including some without out their consent.
“Procuring joint letter of decampees from the APC and reading same on the floor of the Senate including some who did not accede to defecting thereby causing embarrassment to the party.
“Inspite of the efforts to address grievances to reconcile aggrieved members, you worked against the process and encouraged the formation of an association which sought to impersonate and pass off the name of the party”.