Mass Defection Predicted To Hit PDP Soon

Barring any last-minute change in the unfolding schemes on the political scene, there is imminent mass defection of Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers in the House of Representatives to the opposition All Progressives Congress.

Intensive discussions are ongoing between members of the APC and members of the PDP in the House, it was learnt on Friday.

The effort by the opposition party to win over PDP lawmakers is in pursuit of APC's determination to increase its numerical strength in the legislative chamber to 212.

The feat, if achieved, will put the party in a position to take over the leadership of the House.

Findings by SUNDAY PUNCH showed that about 40 more PDP lawmakers are considering the APC.

With the defection of 37 members of the ruling party to the APC last week, the opposition party currently has 172 members in the House, while the PDP has 171.

The forty lawmakers expected to join the APC in January include five members of the PDP from Adamawa State.

Adamawa State Governor, Mr. Murtala Nyako, was one of the five former PDP governors, who defected to the APC last month.

Curiously, PDP lawmakers from the state did not defect to the APC on Tuesday, when the 37 from Sokoto, Kano, Rivers and Bauchi states moved to the APC on the floor of the House.

"The reason they did not move on Tuesday was part of the strategy of the APC. If they had moved with their colleagues, the number would have been 42, instead of 37. Such a large number moving at the same time could have caused tension on the floor.

"It was part of the strategy that the defection should be done gradually. For the case of Adamawa, it is a done deal; they will move", a source confided in SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday.

In addition to the five lawmakers from Adamawa State, it was gathered that 35 others from states whose governors did not move to the APC, were on standby.

"These members are with the PDP on the floor, but their hearts are with the APC", the source who pleaded anonymity added.

One of our correspondents gathered that the major reason for the planned defection was to enable the lawmakers actualise their 2015 ambitions.

When contacted, the Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, confirmed the findings, saying , "More members are billed to join us in January."

Although, he declined to mention any figure, he stated that there was "no longer any doubt that things will not remain the same by the end of January."

Five aggrieved PDP governors of the rebellious G-7, had on November 26, 2013, announced their decision to merge with the APC.

The five governors were Muritala Nyako (Adamawa), Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).

The governors, at the meeting they had with the leadership of the APC in Abuja, said their decision was aimed at rescuing the country.

Via: punch