PDP Regains Reps’ Majority Leadership, Welcomes Five Defectors

The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday regained its majority leadership in the House of Representatives following the defection of five members of the All Progressives Congress to the PDP.

 The PDP, which earlier lost the majority leadership to the APC, now has 178 members, while the APC has dropped to 168.

 Although the APC also gained one member from the PDP on Tuesday, the later is now in the majority.

The APC had moved to 172 membership on December 19 last year after 37 PDP lawmakers defected to the party.

The members who defected on Tuesday were from Kano, Sokoto, Zamfara and Kaduna States.

The five defectors to PDP were Mr. Lawan Shehu-Bichi (Kano); Mr. Abdulsalam Asamu (Kano); Mr. Sani Dangaladima (Zamfara); Mr. Ibrahim Shehu-Gusua (Zamfara); and Mr. Umar Bature ( Sokoto) .

The member who defected to the APC from PDP was Isa Ashiru from Kaduna State.

The Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, read letters the lawmakers wrote individually, informing their colleagues of their decision to change political parties.

Members of the PDP reacted to the development with wild jubilation in what came to them as a surprise move by the lawmakers.

Some members were so excited that they rushed to Shehu-Gusua and carried him shoulder high.

For a few minutes, there was disorderliness on the floor as members ran to the Majority Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, scrambling to shake hands with her.

They were also seen congratulating the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.

Akande-Adeola’s seat was most threatened when the APC had a slim majority control over the House until the latest development.

The APC came short of effecting a leadership change three weeks ago but were restrained by the injunction the PDP obtained stopping the House from altering its leadership structure.

Source: The Punch