Nigeria’s Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has announced the defection of three more senators of from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to other parties.
The lawmakers are Francis Alimekhena (Edo North) and Babba Kaita (APC, Katsina North), who defected from the APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Lawal Gumau (Bauchi South) who left the APC to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Although the lawmakers had defected weeks ago, their letters were read out at the start of plenary on Tuesday.
“My decision is anchored on the continuing and multifaceted crisis bedeviling the APC, especially my senatorial district,” Alimekhena said in his letter.
Already, former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has secured the Edo North senatorial ticket – a major reason for Alimekhena’s exit from the party.
Like Alimekhena, Messrs Kaita and Gumau also cited internal party crisis – especially at state level – as their reasons for leaving.
Already, Gumau has clinched the ticket for Bauchi South senatorial district under the NNPP.
Their letters come about a week after Lawan read out similar defection letters from the former Senate leader, Yahaya Abdullahi and Adamu Aliero – both from Kebbi State.
The duo, like their colleagues, not only cited crisis in the party as their reasons for leaving, but also accused the state governor, Atiku Bagudu, of frustrating the efforts of party members in the state.
There has been a wave of defection at both the Senate and the House of Representatives. These movements are majorly premised on internal party crisis and the search for return tickets.
With the latest defections, the ruling party, APC, now has 67 of the total 109 seats in the Senate.
