Viral Video Purporting My Defection False, Mischievous –Senate President

By Daniel Dafe

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has reacted to the viral social media video clip that purportedly announced his defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).

The reaction was contained in a statement on Saturday signed by Ola Awoniyi, Special Adviser(Media) to the President of the Senate.

The statement said: “The original video clip, which was mischievously edited to 26 secs, is a 3mins 30secs clip of the Senate President reading the letter by His Excellency, Senator Muhammad Adamu Ailero of Kebbi State, informing his Distinguished senator colleagues at plenary of his defection from the APC to the PDP over issues in the state chapter of the APC”.

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“It is common knowledge that the Senate resumed from a recess on Tuesday and adjourned sitting on Wednesday to next Tuesday.

“So how could the Senate President have made such announcement at plenary either on Tuesday or Wednesday without it being reported by journalists who covered the proceedings?

“The fact is that, at the commencement of the session on Tuesday, the Senate President read out some correspondences, one of which was the said letter written by Senator Aliero.

“Senator Aliero was not the only senator that officially announced his defection this week from one party to another.

“It was the video clip of the Senate President reading out Senator Aliero’s letter that was doctored to give the wrong impression that Lawan has renounced his membership of APC,” the statememt added.

According to the statement, “for the avoidance of doubt, Senator Ahmad Lawan is a committed member of the APC and has no reason whatsoever to renounce his membership of the party.”

Lawan enjoined members of the public “to discountenance the video in reference as it is the handiwork of mischief makers.”