A member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State, Peter Makinde, has defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Makinde, in his letter of defection, read to members at Tuesday’s plenary by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, blamed the defection on the alleged division in the ADC.
“You’re welcome to the progressive party,” Gbajabiamila said after reading the letter.
Several members of the Peoples Democratic Party, however, screamed point of order.
A leader of the minority caucus, Nicholas Ossai, who was allowed to speak, protested against the defection, stating that it breached Section 68 of the Constitution.
But Gbajabiamila, dismissed Ossai’s arguments, asking him or any member of the opposition to mention the name of the chairman of ADC.
According to the Speaker, those protesting against the defection lacked knowledge of the goings-on in the ADC and, as such, are not in the position to query the reason cited by Makinde for the defection.0
Gbajabiamila described them as “meddlesome interloper,” saying they “have no locus” and, therefore, a “busybody.”
“You don’t even know the name of the chairman of the party, so your (point of) order is overruled,” he said.
Eleven defections have so far been recorded between October 2020 and February 2021 in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, all to the APC.
Last week, two members of the House, Shehu Yakubu Abdullahi from Bauchi State had defected from the Peoples Redemption Party to the APC. Blessing Onuh, daughter of a former President of the Senate, David Mark, from Benue State also dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance for the APC.
Samuel Onuigbo from Abia State had on December 17, 2020, announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
On December 16, Tajudeen Adefiyose, from Ondo State, defected from the SDP to the APC.
A day before Adefisoye’s declaration, Aliyu Datti Yako from Kano State defected from the PDP to the APC, while Shiddi Usman Danjuma from Taraba State defected from APGA to the APC.
A member from Benue State, Herman Hembe, had also defected from APGA to the APC. Hembe was in the PDP before joining APGA.
Three members of the House had earlier in October 2020 switched parties.
They were Kolawole Lawal from Ogun State who returned to the APC from the Allied Peoples Movement; Ephraim Nwuzi from Rivers State and David Abel from Taraba State who defected from the PDP to the APC respectively.
