PDP Caucus Kicks As Two Reps Defect To APC

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday lost two of its House of Representatives members to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Those whose letters of defection were read on the floor of the House in Abuja were Mr Ephraim Nwuzi (Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in Rivers State) and Mr David Abel /Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency in Taraba state).

The letters, which were read by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, came amid protests by the PDP caucus, which demanded that the seats of the two lawmakers should be declared vacant.

The protests were led by the Minority Leader, Hon Ndudi Elumelu, and the Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu.

They were joined by the caucus leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, who also made a similar demand by raising a constitutional point of order.

But, Gbajabiamila, a former minority leader of the House before becoming the speaker in the current 9th Assembly, dismissed the protests.

He recalled how he led such fruitless protests in the past when the PDP controlled the majority membership of the National Assembly.

Mocking them, Gbajabiamila stated, “Like you used to tell me, your points are noted. Any more defections?”

THE WHISTLER recalls that such defections on the floor of the House are mostly for political reasons when the defectors start making permutations in their local environments for the next election or for some other personal gains.