Amidst the anger and criticism trailing last week defection of a federal lawmaker in the House of Representatives to the All Progressives Congress (APC), an indication has emerged that the ruling party is plotting to poach certain lawmakers in the Senate to swell its number in the Red Chamber.
The lawmaker, representing Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency, Plateau State, Ajang Iliya, last week, announced his defection to the APC, bringing to six the LP lawmakers that have dumped the party.
A source at the APC national secretariat revealed that among the five senators on the platform of the LP, two have opened discussion with the party.
The source, who refused to disclose the identities of the lawmakers smarting to dump the LP however said they are from the South East region.
“They have opened discussions with the APC zonal leadership. Their defection will be given same fanfare at the party national secretariat, same way late Ifeanyi Ubah was warmly received when he left the Young Peoples Party (YPP).”
It was gathered that out of the five LP senators, three are from the South-East.
The list includes: Senators Okechukwu Ezea, (Enugu North) Victor Umeh, (Anambra Central) and Tony Nwoye,(Anambra North).
The other two lawmakers are Senators Ireti Kingibe ( Federal Capital Territory) and Neda Imasuen (Edo South)
Recall that last June, the senator representing Imo East, Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi, dumped the LP for the APC.
In his defection letter read on the floor of the Red Chamber during plenary, he equally cited division within the opposition party.
A breakdown of the lawmakers showed that APC has 63 lawmakers to PDP 34, while both the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) parade 2 lawmakers each, just as the LP has 5, giving a total of 107.
The seats for Edo Central were declared vacant at plenary last week as the erstwhile occupant, Senator Monday Okpebholo had since assumed office as Edo state governor.
Senator representing Anambra South, Ifeanyi Ubah, died last July.
LP NASS caucus meets
A federal lawmaker on the platform of the LP disclosed at the weekend that a meeting has been fixed for Monday at the National Assembly to discuss what he called disturbing development within the party.
“We are meeting tomorrow ( today) to review recent events in our party.»
Asked if he was equally contemplating defection, the lawmaker declined to respond in the affirmative but said, “I don’t know yet. I don’t think I want to discuss that for now.”
We are not unaware of fresh moves of defection —LP NWC
Speaking in a telephone interview, the national publicity secretary of the LP, Obiorah Ifoh, who maintained that there was no division within the party, said the party was determined to retrieve, through constitutional means, its mandate from those who used its platform to secure seats at the National Assembly but have since jumped ship.
While he confirmed moves by certain senators to also defect to the APC, Ifoh said the national leadership of the party was watching the development and would resist it, using relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
He said: «After the general election, Labour Party won eight seats in the Senate and 35 seats in the House of Representatives. We, however, lost a senatorial seat through the courts.
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“We have also seen about six members of the House of Representatives decamp. This is in spite of the provision of the 1999 Constitution, Section 68(g) that clearly states that for one to decamp, you must first drop the mandate given to the party.
“Though a proviso in the constitution stated that the lawmakers can change party where the party in which such one is elected has a crisis. However, the Labour Party has no crisis presently. “The current leadership has been affirmed by the courts as valid and legitimate. Though a few of our leaders made attempt to infuse crisis but that was nipped with the help of the court.
“We have, however, challenged the defections in the court, asking that the members that defected should drop the mandate and vacate their seats as well as return all illegally received allowances and emoluments. “As regards whether some senators will leave, the party is aware of pressures from the other parties to woo them. It is not impossible that one or two may succumb.
“But many of them have vowed their loyalty to the party leadership and we believe that common sense will prevail, particularly now that the party has clearly wriggled itself from the earlier hiccups. But for those who may wish to decamp, we will ensure that the provision of the constitution applies.”
Nigerian Tribune
