President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, has disclosed that a delegation from its Committee on Foreign Affairs would depart Nigeria on July 1, 2022, to pay a visit to Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife.

Lawan made this known on Wednesday, while giving details into the outcome of a closed session held by the upper chamber before the start of plenary proceedings.

According to Lawan, the decision to wade into Ekweremadu’s arrest and detention over allegations of organ harvesting was against the backdrop of a briefing received by the Nigerian High Commissioner to London.

He further disclosed that the Senate would engage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigerian High Commission in London on the recent arrest of Senator Ike Ekweremadu by the London Metropolitan Police in the United Kingdom.

He said, “I had a personal engagement with our Nigerian High Commissioner to Britain, Alhaji Isola Sarafa, who has done so well to establish contact with our colleague, who has been able to get his team to be in the court at Uxbridge  where Ekweremadu was taken to.

“The high Commission has also been able to provide some consular services that include the engagement of some lawyers who will defend our colleague.

“We commend them for giving attention to the issue at stake. Equally, the Nigeria Foreign Affairs Minister has been engaged here, so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes steps to provide diplomatic support for our colleague.

“Because this issue is already in court, we have limited opportunity to discuss beyond what we have done so far.

“But I want to ensure the family of our colleague, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Nigerians, that the Senate will continue to engage with our ministry of foreign affairs as well as our high commission in London.

“The High Commission has done so much but we still expect that it will continue to provide any other further consular services.

“We have also mandated our committee on foreign affairs to engage with the British high commission here in Nigeria, to find more details on this case, as  as far as the high commission is involved.

“There will be a delegation to London to see Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife. A delegation from the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Senate will leave in the next two days to London for that purpose.

“I want to urge all federal government institutions that can do anything to ensure that Justice prevails in this case, that they do so.”

The two have remained in contact even after Mr Kwankwaso defected from the PDP.

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, will meet the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, in Port Harcourt this afternoon in continuation of his search for a running mate for the 2023 election.

I'm not Looking for Vice President Position- Wike (Throwback Video)

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Mr Kwankwaso had been holding talks with Peter Obi of the Labour Party exploring the possibility of the two parties merging or forming an alliance for the election.

But the talks are believed to have been bogged down, especially by the knotty issue of who between the two presidential candidates would step down to become the running mate of the other.

Mr Kwankwaso’s scheduled meeting with Mr Wike may, however, be an indication that the former Kano State governor is looking for alternatives.

Aides of Messrs Kwankwaso and Wike confirmed that the two politicians were scheduled to meet in Port Harcourt from about 2.30 p.m. on Friday.

The two sides also said discussions between the politicians at the meeting would likely focus on the 2023 presidential election.

The two have remained in contact even after Mr Kwankwaso defected from the PDP.

It would be recalled that the NNPP candidate helped Mr Wike to win substantial votes from Kano delegates at the PDP primary last month.

Associates of the former governor are in control of the leadership of the PDP in Kano, despite his defection with many of his supporters from the party.

However, it is not clear whether Mr Wike would be persuaded to dump the PDP too and be Mr Kwankwaso’s running mate.

Although the period for the nomination of candidates has closed, a presidential or governorship candidate can substitute their running mate who withdraws before July 15.

But Mr Wike’s people have said they have no intention of moving out of the PDP, despite his recent disappointment over the choice of the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

They said Mr Wike would work for the victory of the party’s candidates in the state but would not commit his resources and energy to other causes whose fruits other persons stand to reap.

After beating Mr Wike to the PDP presidential ticket last month, former vice president Atiku Abubakar had considered the Rivers governor for nomination as his running mate but eventually picked Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Mr Wike has not congratulated Mr Okowa or spoken in public on the choice. He has since met with political leaders from other parties, including Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Mr Obi of the LP.