At least 12 members of the House of Representatives on Thursday defected from their respective political parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while others have also indicated interest in dumping their platforms.
Out of the 12 defectors, six left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC; five members dumped the Labour Party (LP) and the PDP for the ADC, while one member moved from the Young Progressives Party (YPP) to the ADC.
Lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC are Hons. James Barka (Adamawa), Kwamoti Bitrus Laori (Adamawa), Zakaria Nyampa (Adamawa), Kobis Thimnu (Adamawa), Midala Balami (Borno), and Mohammed Bargaja (Sokoto).
Those who joined the ADC include Afam Victor Ogene (LP, Anambra), Peter Anekwe (YPP, Anambra), Lilian Orogbu (LP, Anambra), Jessey Onakalusi (LP, Lagos), and Murphy Osaro Omoruyi (LP, Edo).
The lawmakers, in their separate letters presented by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who presided over plenary, cited internal crisis and irreconcilable differences in their parties as the reasons for their defections.
Kalu disclosed that some other members had also written to the leadership of the House notifying it of their intention to leave their current parties.
He, however, said the letters and the destination parties of the lawmakers would not be disclosed in their absence.
According to Kalu, the letters would only be read when the concerned lawmakers are present on the floor of the House.
LEADERSHIP reports that four opposition lawmakers on Wednesday defected from their respective political parties to the ruling APC, while one member left the PDP for the Accord Party.
With the latest defections, the APC has swelled its numbers from 245 to 261 members.
