Fifty lawmakers belonging to the All Progressives Party (APC) today have announced their exit from the party into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While 15 senators defected from the APC to the PDP and ADC, 37 APC House of Representatives members joined suit.
In a lettered read by the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, the affected Senators said their decision followed their consultation with their respective constituencies.
While 14 of the number defected via a common letter to the leadership of the Senate announced their move to the opposition PDP, Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa) formalised his defection on the floor of the Senate after his earlier to the ADP.
The letter gave the names of the defecting Senators as:
Sen. Lanre Tejouso (Ogun)
Sen. Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara)
Sen. Barnabas Gemade (Benue)
Sen. Dino Melaye (Kogi)
Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara)
Sen. Shitu Ubale (Jigawa)
Sen. Isa Misau (Bauchi)
Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna)
Sen. Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo)
Sen. Ibrahim Danbaba (Sokoto)
Sen. Bayero Nafada (Gombe)
Sen. Suleiman Nazifi (Bauchi)
Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano)
Sen. Soji Akanbi
Sen. Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa)
The letter reads:
Dear Senate President,
After due consultation, with our constituents and stakeholders in our constituency, in proper recognition section 16 (1G) of the 1999 constitution, and for the fact of our party, The All Progressives Congress, we hereby inform the Senate that we the undersigned
We hereby inform you that we are changing our political affiliation from APC to PDP. We thank you for your exemplary leadership.
Similarly, yesterday a total of 37 members of the House of Representatives have defected from Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Of this number, 32 joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while four joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). One later announced he was also leaving the APC but did not state his new party.
Announcing their defection on Tuesday during plenary, the first 36 lawmakers cited division at all levels of the APC as the reason for their defection.
The defectors are Sani Rano, Barry Mpigi, Ali Madaki, Dickson Tackighir, Hassan Saleh, Danburam Nuhu, Mark Gbilah, Razak Atunwa, Ahmed Bichi, Abdulsamad Dasuki and Zakari Mohammed.
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