Update: APC leads House of Reps as 37 PDP members defect

Update: APC leads House of Reps as 37 PDP
members defect
Ini Ekott - 12 hours ago
NEWS
The PDP is now minority in the House of
Representatives
In a historic move, 37 members of the House of
Representatives on Wednesday announced a long-
awaited defection from the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressive
Congress, APC, thrusting the APC into the lead as
the majority party in a House divided for months by
PDP’s internal conflicts.
With the move, the APC leads the House with 175
members ahead of PDP’s 171. The remaining seats
are shared by Labour Party, Democratic Peoples
Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance and Accord
Party.
It is the first time the PDP, in its 14 years of
existence, would lose the majority number in any
arm of the National Assembly.
Members of the PDP say the APC could only take
charge of the House if its members hit 181, basing
their argument on the rule that requires a simple
majority to take over leadership.
They argue that for a 360-member house, such
majority will be above the half mark-180.
The opposition members have rejected that
interpretation, which they say fails to take into
consideration that the house comprises of other
parties, not only PDP and APC.
Early Wednesday, names of the defecting
lawmakers were read out by the speaker, Aminu
Tambuwal, after which they later took turns for a
hand shake with Mr. Tambuwal.
The defection came more than a week after five
state governors defected from the PDP to the
opposition coalition, APC; after months of failed
attempts at reconciling with the presidency and the
leadership of the party.
Governors who defected are Chibuike Amaechi,
Rivers; Aliyu Wammako, Sokoto; Murtala Nyako,
Adamawa; Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara; and Rabiu
Kwankwaso of Kano.
Defecting lawmakers are known supporters of the
governors, and their decision on Wednesday
apparently to conform to their principals’, save for
members from Adamawa state.
Eleven of the defectors are lawmakers from Kano
state, 10 are from Sokoto state, 8 from Rivers state,
6 from Kwara state. One member apiece from
Katsina and Bauchi also moved to the APC.
The spokesperson of the House, Zakari Mohammed,
was among those who defected.
The lawmakers said they took the decision as a
result of the divisions in PDP, troubled by months of
internal conflict between seven governors, the
leadership of the party and the presidency.
“This action is as a result of the division/faction in
the political party that sponsored our election into
the House of Representatives,” they said in a letter
read by the speaker.
Ahead of the defection, the lawmakers secured a
court order stopping the PDP from declaring their
seats vacant. Twenty two Senators were joined in
the suit, meaning at least that number will be
announcing their defection.
List of members who decamped:
Abdulahi Balarabe (Sokoto), Abudulmumin Jibrin
(Kano), Ali Ahmad (PDP, Kwara), Abudulahi Wamako
(Sokoto), Aliyu Pategi (Kwara), Ahmed Zerewa,
Aishatu Ahmed (Adamawa), Aiyedun Olayinka
(Kwara), Alhassan Garba (Kano), Aliyu Madaki
(Kano), Aliyu Shehu (Sokoto) and Aminu Shagari
(Sokoto).
Others include Aminu Suleiman (Kano), Aminu Tukur
(Adamawa), Andrew Uchendu (Rivers), Asita
Honourable (Rivers), Bashir Babale (Kano), Blessing
Usiegbe (Rivers), Dakuku Peterside (Rivers), Dawari
George (Rivers), Gibson Nathaniel (Adamawa),
Gogo Bright Tamuno (Rivers), Isa Bashir (Sokoto),
Kabiru Achida (Sokoto), and Maurice Pronen
(Rivers).
Also in the group are Sabo Mohammed, Mpigi
Barinada (Rivers), Mukhtari Muhammad, Musa Ado
(Kano), Musa Sarkin-Adar (Sokoto), Mustapha
Dawaki (Kano), Mustapha Mashood (Kwara),
Ogbonna Nwuke (Rivers), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara),
Sa’ad Nabunkari (Sokoto), Sani Aliyu (Kano),
Shuaibu Gobir (Sokoto), Sokonte Davies (Rivers),
Umar Bature (Sokoto), Yusuph Dunari Sule
(Jigawa), and Zakari Mohammed (Kwara).