By Banji Ayoola
Fifty two members of the National Assembly elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, dumped the party on Tuesday, alleging factionalisation of the party.
They include 15 senators and 37 members of the House of Representatives.
The senators according to Vanguard are Senators Dino Melaye, representing Kogi State; Rafiu Ibrahim, Kwara; Shaaba Lafiagi, Kwara; Barnabas Gemade, Benue; Suleiman Hunkuyi, Kaduna; Rabiu Kwankwaso, Kano and Abdulaziz Nyako, Adamawa.
Others include Senators Abdullahi Danbaba, Sokoto; Isa Misau, Bauchi; Suleiman Nazif; Baki Shittu, Jigawa; Monsurat Sunmmonu, Oyo; Bayero Nafada, Gombe and Olanrewaju Tejuoso, Ogun.
Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, read a letter signed by 14 of the defecting Senators on the floor. It read: “Dear Senate President, after due consultation with our constituents and stakeholders in our constituencies, in proper recognition of section 68(1G) of the 1999 Constitution as amended and with the fact our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is hereby emerging factions.
“We hereby inform the Senate that we the undersigned are changing our political affiliation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“We thank you for your exemplary leadership.”
Few minutes after reading the letter, Saraki also announced that Senator Murtala Nyako, had also indicated his intention to leave the APC, bringing the total number of defectors to 15.
Speaking after the defection, Saraki who expressed displeasure at the siege on his residence, said that it was uncalled for, adding: “People have the freedom of association. I have been sitting down here and more than 15 senators have decamped or defected to one party or the other. There was no siege on their residence.”
The defection in the House of Representatives threw the chamber into a rowdy session as the remaining members of the APC in the House staged a walkout from plenary to address newsmen.
The 37 members of the House of Representatives as reported by NAN moved to the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The Representatives in a letter to the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara officially announced their defection during plenary on Tuesday.
Top on the list of the defectors is the Chairman Committee on Rules and Business Rep. Emmanuel Orker-Jev (Benue).
Of the 37 defectors, 33 went to the PDP while four others from Oyo state moved to ADC.
Other prominent members who dumped the APC include: Sani Rano, Barry Mpigi, Ali madaki, Dickson Tackighir, Hassan Saleh, Danburam Nuhu, Mark Gbilah, Razak Atunwa, Ahmed Garba Bichi, Abdulsamad Dasuk and Zakari Mohammed.
This cane after 15 senators in the Senate dumped the APC for PDP.
Defection won’t harm – Buhari
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has said he harbours no grievances against decampees and that the defection would not harm his aspirations or that of the party.
As Vanguard reports, the President also said that he harbours no grievances against the senators and members of the House of Representatives that have dumped the APC.
He further stated that he was committed to the tenets of democracy and freedom of choices and that he was willing to work with members of the National Assembly for the good of the country irrespective of their political affiliations.
President Buhari in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu in Abuja, said that the lawmakers were not having any issues with him rather their home states.
According to the statement, “In his reaction to the developments Tuesday morning at the National Assembly, the President noted that none of the defecting federal lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had any specific grievances against him or the government he leads; neither did he harbour anything against any of them.
“As the saying goes, all politics is local. We understand that some of the distinguished and honourable lawmakers have issues with their home states, especially on zoning which bars some of them from seeking another term in their constituencies.”
Noting that the APC had done its utmost to stop the defections, the President commended the leadership of the party for relentlessly working for its unity and ensuring success in the upcoming elections.
He assured members of the APC of his total support and urged party faithful not to despair but to see the defections as a seasonal occurrence that happens on election eve.
He expressed confidence that no harm or injury will be done to the party and its aspirations by the movements, and wished all the decamped members the best in their future undertakings.
We are not jittery – Oshiomhole
Also, NAN reports that APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, said the party is not jittery about members of the R-APC joining the PDP.
He also said his wooing them to stay with the APC was not an act of cowardice.
Oshiomhole spoke at the launch of a book by Senator Bukar Abba Ibrahim (APC, Yobe-East). He said his gesture to the aggrieved members was all about restoring peace and getting justice for those who deserved it.
“Throughout the weekend and up till today (Monday), many of the national dailies reported different stories with the impression that I have not been sleeping within the last one week as a result of alleged midnight meetings with aggrieved party members, who they say I have been begging not to leave the party.
“In some of the reports, the insinuations even went as far as saying that I made juicy offers to the aggrieved party members in stopping them from defecting. While I will not be too direct in reacting to such reports here, I will only say though I have been meeting aggrieved party members over whatever injustices they felt the party or some chieftains of the party had done to them. I have not been having sleepless nights as being reported, and also I am not in any way jittery.
“Rapprochement move, as far as I am concerned, is not an act of cowardice but a desirous endeavour in making peace since you can’t decree peace but only work for it. So, in a nutshell, I am not ashamed of doing that as chairman of a great party. To those who the rapprochement moves are being directed to, we want them to appreciate that we are more or less trying to prevent them from making a blunder of dumping palm wine for kain kain (local gin).”
Remain calm, APC urges members
Again, the party told its members and supporters not to be flustered by the loss of some elected representatives and senators to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
In a statement by Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, its National Publicity Secretary on Tuesday in Abuja, the party said it would continue to consolidate on its majority status both in the House of Representatives and 25 states, ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Abdullahi said the Buhari administration would continue to work harder to deliver on its campaign promises to Nigerians.
“The APC notes the development in the National Assembly with the defection of some of our members from the party.
In the last couple of weeks our party leaders have worked to stave off this situation as responsible party leaders would do.
“It would appear however, that the individuals involved have different considerations beyond the grievances that they were willing to discuss and which our leaders were willing to address,” it said.
The APC said as a truly democratic party, it respects the right of every citizen to political association.
It therefore, urged its members to remain calm as it continues to work hard to position the party strongly for the next general elections.
The statement added that the APC remains in firm control of 25 states of the 36 states of the federation and maintains a clear majority in the Federal House of Representatives and State Assemblies.
After the announcement by the Senate President, some Senators started chanting “PDP” in the chamber.
The Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, however, appealed to the defecting Senators not to defect. He noted that the ruling party, APC has its own internal disagreement but “this does not translate to factionalisation, therefore, they (Senators) have no reason to defect”.
Defection will save Nigeria’s democracy – PDP
Reacting, the National Vice-Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, South-South, Mr. Emmanuel Ogidi, said the Tuesday defection by some lawmakers to PDP was a good omen for the party ahead of the 2019 general elections.
He said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that the action of the lawmakers was in the interest of Nigeria, arguing that it would help to save the country’s democracy.
“The lawmakers defected from the All Progressives Congress to the PDP because they want good for the country and to save her democracy.
“They could no longer sit to watch the way things are going in this country, and that is why they are back in the PDP to join forces in the mission to rescue the nation. We are happy with that.
“This is a good signal for 2019 general elections and it also means that the PDP has been doing the right thing.
“Since we lost power at the federal level in 2015, we have not acted like opposition party but as a government-in-waiting.
“In spite of all the harassment and intimidation, we have never taken the laws into our hands; we keep doing the right thing and now you can see that it has paid off.”
Ogidi also attributed the defection of the lawmakers to the re-branding and re-positioning efforts going on in the PDP.
“People now see that PDP is real and is ready to give everybody the opportunity to aspire on his political ambition as we move on.”
He assured the defecting lawmakers that PDP would respect its promise of accommodating them in the party.
The national vice chairman also condemned Tuesday morning’s security siege on the Abuja residences of Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, describing it as “a threat to the country’s democracy.”
He said it was part of the “desperation of the ruling party” to retain power, adding that such actions would not work in today’s democracy in Nigeria.
“This is a threat to Nigeria’s democracy and it is very unfortunate.
“They accused PDP of using impunity and power, but what are they doing? Is this part of the change that they promised us?”
He called on Nigerians and democracy lovers to condemn the act, saying that it was not a good precedent for democracy in the country.
Saraki beats police cordon
It was not clear how the Senate President who, as reported by Channels TV, arrived the Senate Chamber at 10. 40am beat the police cordon around his residence after a fresh invitation from Nigeria Police Force.
His convoy was reportedly blocked by security operatives hindering him from leaving his residence. How he manoeuvred his way out of his residence despite the heavy security presence at his residence, still beats imagination.
Saraki whose convoy was blocked by security operatives on his way from his Maitama residence, and earlier invited by the Police to report at their Guzape office by 8am on Tuesday over the ongoing investigation into the Offa robbery, was blocked at the junction of the Lake Chad Street where he resides.
However, Daily Trust reports that the Police spokesperson, DCP Jimoh Moshood said that he was unaware of any siege on the home of the number three citizen of Nigeria.
The Nation reported that the police only blocked Saraki’s convoy for about 30 minutes. The convoy was about to leave the house at about 7am when the police arrived.
“When the convoy was cleared to go at about 7.30 a.m., some police vehicles trailed it up to the National Assembly complex.”
The Police were said to have extracted a promise from the Senate President that he would honour the invitation by the Inspector General of Police.
The Senate President had been invited by the Inspector General of Police to report at 8a.m today at Guzape Police station to give further statement on the multiple robbery incidents that occurred in Offa, Kwara state on 5 April, in which 31 people were killed.
But, as The Guardian reports, Saraki shunned the invitation to preside over plenary. His decision not to tohonour the police invitation may not be unconnected to the report that he was going to be impeached by some APC senators.
Saraki enjoys qualified parliamentary privilege within the precincts of the parliament.
“There is a plan for rival Senate group to sit and elect new principal officers today (Tuesday),” a source said.
