The last may not have been heard of Senator Bukola Saraki's election as the President of the Eighth Senate.

A group of Senators under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum yesterday faulted the process that produced Saraki, saying his election lacks legitimacy. The Like Minds Senators, a pro-Saraki group, however, insisted that Saraki emerged through due process and should be embraced by all Senators irrespective of their political leaning.

The Senate Unity Forum, a group of All Progressives Congress (APC) senators, led by Senator Barnabas Gemade, spoke at a news conference in Abuja. They were the main backers of Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate President. Gemade, who spoke for the Forum, noted that the insinuation that members of the group boycotted the election was unfounded.

He said that they only went to honour the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari who requested to have a brief meeting with all APC elected senators at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

He said the National Assembly's Clerk, Alhaji Salisu Maikasua, knew that the Senate had not formed a quorum when he hurriedly kick-started the process for the election.

Gemade said the quorum required for the election of the President of the Senate is two-thirds of total members instead of the one-third used by the clerk. He insisted that the process remained unconstitutional and cannot, therefore, confer legitimacy on Saraki.

Gemade added that their right to participate in the election of the Senate President is constitutional, which cannot be taken by any person or group of persons.

His words: "The Clerk of the National Assembly, knowing full well that the quorum for election of the Senate President had not been met, went ahead to conduct an election that shuts the door to about 53 other Senators which would remain unacceptable until what would meet would meet democratic parameter is done."

He said the group would use all political and legal means to address the situation.

Gemade said: "The attention of the Unity Forum has been drawn to conflicting report about the activities that took place on the floor of the Senate yesterday (Tuesday). For the record, we wish to present the following for clarification. "We received an invitation through the office of the National Chairman of our party, the All Progressives Congress, which indicated the request of Mr. President to have a brief meeting with all the APC elected Senators and House of Representatives members at the International Conference Center before the inauguration of the National Assembly at 10am.

"The insinuation in some quarters that we boycotted the election is totally unfounded. As loyal party members, we would take all necessary political and legal means to strengthen our democracy and democratic process in line with the change that we promised our teaming supporters during our electioneering . "In our effort to meet with the time for the inauguration, we rushed to honour the invitation of Mr. President and while at the Conference Centre, news filtered to us that the Clerk of the National Assembly had started the process of the election of the Senate President in our absence.

"This process, which remains unconstitutional, cannot confer legitimacy on the elected Senate President. Our right to participate in the election of the Senate President is a constitutional right which cannot be taken by any person or group of persons.

Asked to throw more light on the question of quorum, Gemade said: "We did not say that quorum was not formed for the inauguration. We said quorum was not formed for the election of the Senate President and that should be two-thirds of the Senators present and 53 Senators were out and the remaining 56 were not enough to elect the President of the Senate and that is a clear position that we take.

"We are not considering the register of that day – attendance to connote the quorum in the Senate because many senators came there after the event was done and the most important aspect of electing any presiding officer in the Senate revolves around nomination. Every Senator eligible must be present when nominations are made and closed. So when 53 Senators are outside and you close nomination, definitely quorum has not been formed.

Senator George Akume, who was at the briefing, said: "I also contested the position of Senate President and I lost gallantly. But this is the first time we are witnessing this sad event that took place yesterday.

"In 2007, all of us were present. In 2011, all of us were also present. Yesterday, only 57 or 56 were present. That is unprecedented in the history of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Why was the Clerk in a hurry to conduct that election, knowing full well that the quorum had not been formed? This is a very sensitive issue.

"It is a constitutional matter as well and a legal issue. You can't elect a Senate President through the ballot by using only 57 Senators and shutting out 53 others. Correctly too, it is wrong. It is unacceptable and unconstitutional and we want you to take note of this. It is unacceptable and it cannot work."

On whether there was communication between President Buhari and the Clerk to the National Assembly, Gemade said: "We like to make it very clear that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria gave the letter for the proclamation and if he invites us for a meeting at 9 O'clock and states that due communication had been made to the National Assembly and before leadership is elected, the Clerk is the one that receives the communication of the President. There must be a slight delay in order to enable him speak with the Senators of the APC before they come and commence the process.

"In the House of Representatives, they were able to catch up because their own happened after the Senate.

"In order not to duplicate things on the bases of zoning and so on, it is traditional that the Senate elects its leadership first and then the House does after. We had to rush from the meeting of the President, knowing full well that there will be a delay to accommodate but suddenly we were told at that meeting that elections were going on and that nominations had already closed. This we found extremely unusual." But the Like-Minded senators fired back at their own news conference. Saraki also held a news conference.