23 PDP Reps set to defect to APC

About 23 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members of the House of Representatives are set to dump the main opposition party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Daily Trust learnt yesterday.

The prospective defectors, it was gathered, were uncomfortable with alleged manipulations by their state governors to “anoint new candidates” in their place.

And in states not controlled by the PDP, it was gathered certain forces were working against the re-election bid of the legislators.

States said to be affected by the planned defection included Gombe, Benue, Kogi, Enugu, Ekiti, Anambra, Cross River, among others.

A source privy to the planned mass defection said it showed all was not well within the PDP.

It was gathered that meetings of committees saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a smooth consensus primary election across the states were deadlocked last week.

The source further disclosed that APC was already dangling automatic tickets to lure the aggrieved lawmakers into their fold, should they perfect their plans to cross over to the ruling party.

“We want to leave not because it is our wish but the governors have pushed us to the wall.

“We have fought to defend the PDP and democracy; despite our commitment to the party, see what the governors are doing to us,” the source said.

However, efforts to reach the chairman, PDP Caucus and Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Chukwuka Onyema (PDP, Anambra), to comment on the development, were not successful as his lines were not connecting.