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• Defections dangerous drift for Nigeria’s democracy –Abba Moro
From Ndubuisi Orji and Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Exodus of the opposition to the All Progressives Congress (APC) continued yesterday with the defection of six Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House of Representatives and two senators.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the defections of Allwell Onyesoh, representing Rivers South-East, and Mpigi Barinada, Rivers West lawmaker, during plenary after reading the lawmakers’ letters to the upper chamber.
In his letter, Mpigi formally declared his decision to join the APC, thanking the PDP for giving him his first opportunity to serve in the senate.
Barinada, in his letter, said his decision followed extensive consultations with his constituents, noting that the move was taken in what he described as their collective interest.
Speaking after the defections, Opeyemi Bamidele, senate leader, said the APC was constitutionally bound to admit new members without discrimination.
“The ruling party that produced us is a party registered under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Bamidele said, adding that the APC had a responsibility to open its doors to those willing to join.
Bamidele dismissed claims that the defections were part of a plan to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, insisting that the lawmakers were acting voluntarily.
Akpabio, in his remarks, urged the APC to learn from the internal challenges confronting the PDP, stressing that all members, including defectors, must be treated equally.
He also noted the need for the party to uphold internal democracy.
The defections were witnessed by Magnus Abe, former senator, members of the house of representatives, and officials of the APC national working committee.
The six Reps, who announced their defection at plenary, included Dumnamere Dekor (Khana/Gokana federal constituency), Solomon Bob (Abua/Odual and Ahoada East federal constituency), Hart Cyril (Degema/Bonny federal constituency), Victor Obuzor (Ahoada West/Ogba-Egbema/Ndoni federal constituency), Blessing Amadi (Port Harcourt II federal constituency) and Felix Nweke (Eleme/Oyigbo/Tai federal constituency). This is coming after the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, equally embraced the APC. After Fubara’s defection, four Rivers lawmakers, including Umezuruike Manuchim (Port Harcourt I federal constituency), Boniface Emerengwa (Ikwerre/Emohua federal constituency), Awaji-Inombek Abiante (Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni federal constituency) and Boma Goodhead (Akuku-Toru/Asari-Toru federal constituency) joined the ruling party.
In the aftermath of yesterday’s defection witnessed by some APC national officers, the PDP now has only three members of the House of Representatives from Rivers State, including the Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has warned that the growing wave of defections from the opposition parties to the ruling APC poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democratic system.
He spoke during plenary yesterday following the defection of Senator Barinada Mpigi (Rivers South-East) and Senator Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East) from the PDP to the APC.
The defections were witnessed by the APC leaders and members who were allowed into the Red Chamber after the Senate suspended its rules.
Reacting after plenary resumed, Moro described the development as “a dangerous drift to Nigeria’s democracy,” insisting that such movements weaken opposition and democratic balance.
“I want to insist that this is not good for democracy,” he said. He also rejected claims that the PDP had collapsed, accusing defecting lawmakers of hiding under a false narrative to justify their actions.
“People defecting from the PDP are hiding under a false narrative that the party has collapsed. They can go ahead, but they should not lie about the state of the party. This side of the aisle has not collapsed,” he added, referring to the opposition benches.
Moro’s comments immediately drew objections from Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who said the minority leader raised his concerns in breach of the Senate’s rules.
“What the minority leader just said was his personal opinions. He ought to have come under Order 42. All that he said was in violation of our rules,” Jibrin said.
He urged the Senate President to call Moro to order, stating that the procedure adopted was improper.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged that the protest did not comply with Senate’s rules, noting that the defection letters had earlier been read in the morning and deferred before being taken again ahead of the main business of the day.
“What Moro did is invalid,” Akpabio said, agreeing that the matter did not come under Order 42. However, he added that expressing dissatisfaction should not be suppressed, referring to an earlier remark by Moro that “If you beat a child, you don’t stop him from crying.”
Earlier in the session, the two Rivers senators attributed their decision to internal divisions within the PDP at the national level. Their defections reduced the PDP’s representation in the Senate from 26 to 24 while increasing the number of APC senators from 75 to 77.
