Plans to probe the Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Lamorde over alleged complicity in the diversion of funds amounting to N1trillion have reportedly divided the Senate.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Dino Melaye, in an interview in Abuja on Monday, stated that the petition against the EFCC boss raised very serious issues that could not be ignored by the Senate.

He denied any link between the probe of Lamorde and the quizzing of the wife of the Senate President, Tonye Saraki, by the EFCC in July.

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has already sent invitation to Larmode to appear before it on Wednesday over allegation that the EFCC fraudulently diverted over N1trillion proceeds of corruption recovered by the anti-graft agency.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate, rejected the planned probe of Lamorde. They expressed their position against the probe in a statement signed by the Senate Minority Leader, GodswillAkpabio; his deputy, Emmanuel Bwacha; Minority Whip, Philip Aduda; and his deputy, Biodun Olujimi, and made available to journalists in Abuja.

The statement reads in part:” It has come to the notice of the PDP leadership in the Senate that the Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions would begin a public hearing on Wednesday, 26th of August, 2015 and the committee has invited the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to appear before it.

“The PDP leadership in the senate is not against any committee of the Senate performing its oversight duties and or functions, but we feel that this is not the appropriate time to embark on the most important assignment particularly since the same action was mooted and had failed at previous plenary session.

“We therefore urge the committee to suspend its public hearing on this particular matter until further notice.

“The PDP Senate leadership reassures the Nigerian public of its support for the war against corruption by the Federal Government but hastens to add that such fight against corruption should be total and not selective.

“Nigerians need peace at this period of economic challenges precipitated by the falling of oil prices and actions that will overheat the polity and generate unnecessary friction between the executive and the legislature.”