The crisis rocking the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on Wednesday, reverberated on the floor of the House of Representatives as two members of the party,Tony Nwoye and Emmanuel Udende, announced their decampment to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the chamber.
The defection, the first in the 8th Assembly, slightly altered the numerical standing of the parties in the lower chambers as the APC now has 215 lawmakers, while the PDP members stand at 138. The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has three members.
The Accord Party, Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have a member each while the one seat, the Nasarawa/Toto federal constituency of Nasarawa state is vacant following the death of the erstwhile representative, Hon. Baba Musa Onwana.
It will be recalled that the bye-election to replace Hon. Baba Musa Onwana, who died early this year was declared inconclusive last weekend by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) due to alleged irregularities. Onwana was elected on the platform of the APC.
Nwoye, is a former chairman of the PDP in Anambra state and member representing Anambra east/west federal constituency of Anambra state, and Hon. Emmanuel Udende representing Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo federal constituency of Benue state.
While Nwoye is a fresh member in the House, Udende, who is deputy chairman, committee on police affairs is spending his second tenure in the House of Representatives.
In their separate letters to the House and read on the floor by the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, the two members, cited division in the PDP as the reason for leaving the party.
The members claimed that since the PDP had allegedly broken into three factions headed by Ali Modu Sheriff, Ahmed Makarfi and Jerry Gana respectively, they did not wish to continue to pitch tents with any faction.
The lawmakers told the speaker in the letters that the crisis in the party was affecting their concentration on the floor to carry out their legislative duties.
The development forced the Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, to raise a point of order to protest the letters submitted by the duo alleging that the PDP is divided.
According to him, there is no court ruling to suggests that the party is in crisis and split into factions.
In his remarks, the Speaker said there was no need to debate the matter as the issues of the PDP will be handled at its national level.
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