Another PDP Rep defects to APC

John Ameh, Abuja

The membership of the Peoples Democratic Party caucus at the House of Representatives dropped to about 120 on Tuesday as another lawmaker again left the party.

The only member of the party from Adamawa State, Mr. Adamu Kamale, defected to the All Progressives Congress on the floor of the House.

Every week in the last two weeks, one member has abandoned the PDP.

Kamale, like others before him, cited the factional crisis in the main opposition party as his reason for dumping the PDP.

His defection letter was read to members by the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, as moody-looking PDP lawmakers sat watching proceedings.

Kamale was considered one of the “resourceful” members of the PDP, just like Mr. Edward Pwajok, SAN, who earlier defected to the APC last week.

The PUNCH recalls that the party had 139 members at the inauguration of the current 8th Assembly on June 9, 2015.

The majority APC had 214 members.

However, the defection hitting the PDP lately has cut its numerical strength to around 120, with the APC being the beneficiary.

As Kamale defected on Tuesday, there was confusion in the camp of the party on the floor.

While the Minority Whip, Mr. Yakubu Barde, denied that there was division in the PDP, some members said the matter was in court.

For example, a member of the party from Kogi State, Mr. Sunday Karimi, stated that both the Ahmed Makarfi faction and the Ali Modu Sheriff group were in court over the crisis.

Karimi argued that it was wrong of the House to continue to allow the defections when the matter in court had yet to be disposed of.

He said, “Mr. Speaker the status quo must be maintained.

“Our position as a House has always been that whenever a matter is in court, we should not interfere.”