Immediate past Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, representing Enugu West Senatorial District, on Tuesday, said he decided to vie again for the Deputy Senate Presidency of the 9th Senate in protest against the nomination of Ovie Omo-Agege for the position.
Ekweremadu, who was re-elected to the Senate under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, challenged Omo-Agege, the chosen candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
He, however, lost having scored 37 votes out of the 105 votes while Omo-Agege scored 68 votes.
The former Deputy Senate President, who addressed Journalists after the inauguration of the Senate said: “I believe that there must be a referendum looking at what happened when I was presiding when the Senate was invaded.
“It would have been very embarrassing that somebody who led that operation would just be asked to take a bow and would be endorsed and we all walkover as if it doesn’t matter.
READ ALSO: Breaking: Gbajabiamila Becomes Speaker of 9th House of Reps
“So I wanted a situation where Nigerians, especially through their representatives, will be able to present a referendum in respect of what transpired and then be able to either endorse or condemn it.”
According to him, he took the decision to run for the post a few hours to the inauguration of the Senate because the People Democratic Party members had thought that the APC would come up with another candidate.
Responding to a question on how he felt about the result of the election, Ekweremadu said: “I think that God has just given me that opportunity to have a rest.
“For over 20 years I have been very busy with politics, with leadership, with governance. So I think this is an opportunity for me to have a rest and reflect on so many other things.”
