7 PDP Reps defect to APC

By Patrick Andrew

The gale of defections sweeping through the political parties cost the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) seven more members of the House of Representatives who decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday.

This came on the heels of Tuesday’s defection where the party lost two members, including the chairman of the House Committee on INEC, to the APC and SDP respectively.

In yesterday’s defection, seven legislators cross-carpeted to various parties led as it were by Hon. Abdulmalik Cheche (Niger), who was alleged to have attempted to slap the Senate President, David Mark, during the fence scaling saga.

Six of them chose to pitch tenet with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Also, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) loses three members, but gained one, unlike the PDP that gained nothing from the gale of defections.

The defectors include the Deputy Chairman of House Committee on Media and Publicity, Hon Victor Ogene (APGA, Anambra) to APC, Fort Dike, APGA (Anambra) to APC; Ibrahim Kamba, PDP (Kebbi) to APC and Chukwuemeka Nwogbo, APGA (Anambra) to APC.

Garba Umar, PDP (Kebbi) to APC; Abdumalik Cheche, PDP (Niger) to APC as well as Zakari Haliru, PDP (Niger) to APC, plus Madwatte Anthony PDP (Adamawa) to PDM; Wison Nathaniel PDP (Adamawa) to SDP; and Benjamin Aboho from PDP (Benue) to APGA.

Reacting to the defection, Ogene declined to state whether the APC now has majority in the House, stating instead that defection figure were not made available to his office.

“My office doesn’t keep record of defections. The Clerk’s office is responsible. It has up to date record of where the parties stand”, he said.

It would be recalled that the gale of defection started a year before the last year, when 37 legislators left the PDP for APC.

Afterwards, there was an occasional swings in the movements until the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, followed suit December last year.