27 Lawmakers Defect To New Parties In Reps

No fewer than 27 members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday announced their defections from the political parties they belonged to new platforms.

While some dumped the opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), others moved either from the ruling party to opposition or from one opposition party to another one.

The defectors include: the deputy minority leader, Hon. Aliu Madaki, Ghali Tijjani Mustapha, Shehu Bello, Dankawu Idris, Hussain Hassan Shehu, Rabiu Yusuf, Garba Mohammed Ciroma, Tijjani Abdulkadir Jobe and Ibrahim Mohammed who all dumped the New Nigerian Peoples Party(NNPP) for APC from Kano state.

Others are Hons Jaafaru Yakubu (Taraba), Sadiq Abbas Tafida (Taraba), Ibrahim Mohammed (Kebbi), Bello Shinkafi (Zamfara) and Mohammed Bassi (Adamawa) who resigned from PDP and joined APC.

On the other hand, the deputy minority whip, Hon. George Ozodinobi (Anambra) Harris Okonkwo (Anambra) and Seyi Sowunmi(Lagos) left Labour Party(LP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Also, Hons Yaya Tongo(Gombe), Mani Maishinko Katami(Sokoto), Abdussamad Dasuki (Sokoto) and umar Yusuf Yabo defected from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to ADC while Akanni Clement Ademola as well as Oladebo Lanre Olomololaye both from Osun state dumped PDP for Accord.

Furthermore, Honsustapha Abdullahi (Kaduna) and Philip Agbese(Benue) moved from APC to ADC and LP, respectively while Ikenga ugochinyere as well as Nwogu Mathew both from Imo state defected from PDP to Action Peoples Party (APP).

In their separate letters, read by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, the lawmakers cited internal crises within their former political parties as the reason for defections.

The defections especially those of opposition lawmakers to the ruling party were witnessed by the Kano state governor, Abba Yusuf, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Umaru Ganduje, amongst others.