PRIMARIES FALLOUT: APC LOSES FIVE REPS, GAINS FOUR

Five members of the House of Representatives announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party on the floor of the House on Tuesday as members reconvened, having adjourned since November 20 for the primaries of their political parties.

Tuesday’s defection was apparently fallout of the primaries in which many members lost out in their bid to return to the House in 2015.

While four of the defectors joined the major opposition All Progressives Congress, one defected to the Peoples Democratic Movement.

Among the defectors to the APC was Mr. Ibrahim El-Sudi, who lost his return bid in the PDP primaries. The Taraba State lawmaker had chaired the investigation by the House into the near-collapse of the Nigerian Capital Market in 2012.

The El-Sudi committee had recommended the sacking of the Director-General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, Ms Arunmah Oteh, for lacking the qualifications to head SEC.

President Goodluck Jonathan has not implemented the recommendation till date.

Others who left the PDP for the APC were the Chairman, Committee on Drugs/Narcotics/Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba; Mr. Herman Hembe; and Mr. Ishaq Mohammed.

The fifth lawmaker, Mrs. Aisha Ahmed, from Adamawa State, defected to the PDM.

Meanwhile, five APC members from Ogun State also formally notified the House of their defection to the Social Democratic Party.

The five, known to be supporters of a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, are Messrs Olumide Osoba (son of the former governor), Adekunle Adeyemi, Abudu Balogun, Taofeek Bukola and Babatunde Ogunola.

They claimed that crisis in their former party led to their defection.

The Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, had read the individual defection letters of the members to the House.

The defection elicited jubilation and disapproval at the same time in the camps of the PDP and the APC.

Although the PDP still controls the House, the defection had slashed its majority strength from 197 to about 192 members.

On the other hand, the APC dropped to 149 members from 154.

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About Unknown

Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.