Despite being banned, the Parliamentary Support Group (PSG) which is backing President Muhammadu Buhari on the order of the 2019 elections is heading for a showdown with the leadership of the Nigerian Senate.

After a meeting of the group’s Strategic Committee in Abuja on Sunday, the pro-Buhari group said  its ban could only stand if similar groups in the Senate were also disbanded.

Believed to be backed by about 20 governors, the group said it would ask Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki to disband groups like the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), Like Minds Group and others.

The Like Minds Group facilitated Senator Saraki’s emergence as Senate President about three years ago against the wishes and directives from the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A member of the Strategic Committee who spoke in confidence said the PSG would stand by its suspended secretary, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, stressing that the group was neither plotting against Saraki nor creating a parallel organ in the Senate.

“We are not going to disband it because the Senate did not form it for us. The freedom of association is guaranteed in our Constitution, the freedom of speech is also guaranteed. It is a matter of interest.

“If not for groups like this, the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki would not have emerged as our President. When we founded the Like Minds Group, we disrespected the directive of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to elect him as Senate President.

“We have resolved to ask the Senate leadership to let us start by disbanding the Like Minds Group, the Northern Senators Forum and other groups in order to create a level – playing ground for all.

“Look, the Northern Senators forum is even more discriminatory than the PSG,” the source said.