The plan, when executed, will first result in the suspension of no fewer than six members of APC Senators in the fold of the Unity Forum and, subsequently, according to findings, lead to impasse in the legislature.

Four ranking Senators, including a member of the Like-Minds group who spoke on the development at the weekend, said “notable former public office holders in the last PDP administration, both at the federal and state levels are the financial backers of the plan.”

The Senators who spoke on the issue said names of APC Senators pencilled for immediate suspension once a window of opportunity opens upon resumption of the National Assembly are still not clear as the list keeps changing.

According to them, PDP Senators would move for the suspension of some of APC senators who took the Senate bureaucracy to the police and court over the alleged forgery of Senate Standing Orders and “a number of those who have rebuffed pleas to cross over to the side of the Senate leadership.

“The argument that the PDP Senators will put forward for the suspension to convince their Like-Minds friends is that only the suspension will douse the tension in the chamber while in reality such move will create impasse in the National Assembly and, by extension, stall the forgery probe and distract the Buhari administration,” a ranking senator from South West said.

Explaining further the political implications of the suspension if carried out, a ranking Senator from North West said: “With the suspension of the six APC Senators our number will, on the face value, be reduced 52 as we are now 58 because of the passing on of one of us, but in reality only 28 of us in the Unity Forum are party compliant senators while the remaining 20 are members of “Like-Minds” group who are in alliance with PDP Senators”

He added that with “the current 28 loyal APC senators in the upper chamber, we are already in the minority; the suspension of six out of the number will create impasse, not only in the Senate but also in the National Assembly and the polity in general. The power of confirmation of appointment which resides with the Senate will be greatly impaired.”

Explaining why former public office holders were backing the plan, a ranking senator and a former PDP member said the insistence of President Muhammadu Buhari to probe the last administration “ is a wakeup call for action from those who have skeleton in their cupboard.

“They monitored the president throughout his last official visit to the USA and are aware that the Obama administration had promised Buhari to help Nigeria repatriate all ill-gotten wealth to Nigeria once they are legally traced to be stolen,” the former PDP senator said.

“I doubt if Senator Bukola Saraki will buy into this idea of suspension to undermine his party’s majority status in the Senate as that will put him further apart from the party and President Muhammadu Buhari.

“The public will also be against the idea because of the disdain Nigerians currently have for the PDP. There is the possibility that the party might take the option of expelling the Like-Minds Senators from its fold if this idea is executed. Hence, the best option for Senator Bukola Saraki is to seek reconciliation with his colleagues in the Unity Forum,” he stated.

“The National Assembly is the only arm of government open to the PDP senators for the sole launch of their plan to stall all efforts of the Buhari administration as far as a probe of the Jonathan administration and, by extension, corruption perpetrated at the state level.” (Leadership)