Drama as six PDP Kogi assembly members join APC

There was a drama in the floor of the Kogi state house of assembly  on Thursday as the rank of the Peoples Democratic Party in the house depleted with the defection of six of its members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Those that defected include the majority leader of the house, Matthew Kolawole from Kabba/Bunu state constituency, Victor Omofaye from Ijumu constituency, John Abba from Ibaji, Adoke bello, Ahmed Mohammed and Kekere Abdulkareem.

It was however gathered that the move was perfected in the Abuja residence of a former senator representing Kogi West senatorial district, Senator Smart Adeyemi, who encouraged the lawmakers to leave the PDP.

Adeyemi was said to have told the legislators that APC remained the only party that is indivisible through which they could better the lots of their constituencies.

However, the members notified the assembly of their decision to dump the PDP through a letter addressed to the speaker, Umar Imam.

The letter signed by the lawmakers blamed the protracted leadership crisis in the PDP as the major reason for their defection.

“Instructively the existence of such divisive factions within the party for over 10 months have left us uncomfortable politically and subsequently, rendered us neophytic for effective and people driven representation of our various constituent”, the letter added.

However, the member representing Igalamela-odolu constituency, Friday Sani, said the PDP would declare the seats of the defectors vacant in line with the constitution of Nigeria.

Also Godwin Osiyi of Ogori/Magongo constituency noted that political party remained a vehicle used to attain elected political office, saying the lawmakers should not allow the defection to cause another crisis in the assembly.

The speaker in his contribution said members should see the movement as a peaceful one and should not cause any squabbles.

Meanwhile, the PDP in the state has described the defection as an illegality, saying the affected members should vacate their seats.

A statement by the state publicity secretary of the party, Bode Ogunmola, said the PDP had put in place machinery to reclaim its mandate.

He said, “While we condemn in totality that action of the house members who rode on the crest of the PDP into power, but now turning to bite the fingers that fed them, we must emphasise that our party has put in place all necessary and constitutional machinery to reclaim the mandate for the PDP. They must vacate their seats immediately.

“It is indeed disheartening that rather than join hands with the party to take over power from this administration that has refused to conduct local government elections in the state, those nomadic members have betrayed our party by joining forces to further ruin the state by looking for positions to feather their nest through promotion of illegality”.