A UK court will pronounce sentence on Mr Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a Nigerian doctor, Obinna Obetta, on 5 May for organ trafficking.
The Nigerian Senate has appealed to the government of the United Kingdom to pardon its member, Ike Ekweremadu, who was found guilty of organ trafficking in that country.
This was a sequel to a motion moved by Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North) during the plenary on Wednesday.
The appeal comes as a UK court is set to pronounce sentence on Mr Ekweremadu, his wife, Beatrice, and a Nigerian doctor, Obinna Obetta, on 5 May.
They were found guilty of conspiracy of organ trafficking in March by the Westminster Magistrate Court, an offence that contravenes the Modern Slavery Act.
Mr Ekweremadu, a former deputy senate president, represents Enugu West Senatorial District in the current Senate.
He was arrested in June last year for bringing a young Nigerian to the UK with a view to harvesting his organ to treat his daughter, Sonia, who is suffering from kidney disease and needed a transplant.
The motion
Mr Utazi, in his motion, expressed worries that the Senate had been silent on the ordeal Mr Ekweremadu is facing in the UK.
He demanded that the Senate should appeal to the UK Government considering the relationship between the two countries to temper justice on Mr Ekweremadu.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, therefore, urged the British government to temper justice on the former Deputy senate president, saying the sentencing, if required "should not be too harsh."
He expressed disappointment with the situation, noting that it is unfortunate "a great man" and "a great leader" like Ekweremadu will be going through such an ordeal.
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Mr Lawan noted that he had personally sent a letter to the UK government seeking clemency for Mr Ekweremadu on the organ trafficking offence he is found guilty of.
"It should be considered that this is the first time that Ekweremadu will be facing this crime. We promise to be law-abiding inside and outside our country. The British should look into the sentencing, it should not be too harsh," he said.
Resolution
The upper legislative chamber urged the UK government to facilitate soft sentencing conditions for the lawmaker.
It was, however, silent on Mr Ekweremadu's wife and the doctor.
Previous pleas
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday during plenary pleaded with the UK government to temper justice with mercy in Mr Ekweremadu's case.
Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo made a passionate plea for clemency for the embattled senator. He testified to Mr Ekweremadu's character as a patriot, god-fearing, philanthropic and progressive citizen who has served Nigetia as deputy senate president on three occasions.
