The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s majority status in the House of Representatives was further consolidated Tuesday as five members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defected to the PDP.
The new defectors are: Lawal Shehu Bichi (Kano), Abdulsalam Adamu (Kano), Sani Umar (Zamfara) and Ibrahim Shehu Gusau (Zamfara).
Interestingly, one of the five members, Umar Bature from Sokoto, was one of the 37 members that dumped the PDP for the opposition APC on December 18, 2013.
Prompt News gathered that the two members from Kano are core loyalists of a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau, who recently defected to the PDP hence, the need for them to follow him.
With the defection of the five APC members to PDP, the ruling party is now very comfortable as a majority party in the Lower Chamber with 178 as against APC’s 168.
Prior to the defection of the five members, the majority status of the PDP was slim at 174 to APC’s 172.
The Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, had threatened late last year that the opposition party would push for change of leadership, claiming the APC was in majority.
The moment the Speaker, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, announced the defection of the five members to PDP, it was jubilation galore by the PDP lawmakers, who kept shouting “PDP, power! APC shame!”.
Attempt by the Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, to hold the floor was rebuffed as he was continuously being booed by the PDP visibly excited PDP members.
Meanwhile, PDP also lost one lawmaker from Kaduna state, Isa Mohammed Ashiru, to the opposition APC.
