Ibori’s daughter, four Labour Party reps defect to APC

Five members of the House of Representatives have decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While four decamped from the Labour Party (LP), one decamped from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The lawmakers include Tochukwu Okere, Imo State; Donates Mathew, Kaduna State; Bassey Akiba, Cross River State; and Iyawu Esosa, Edo State. Also, Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu, Delta State, defected from PDP to APC.

The defection was announced by Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House, on the floor of the green chamber during plenary.

In his response to the defection, Ali Isah JC (PDP-Gombe), the minority whip, asked the speaker to declare the seats of the defected opposition lawmakers vacant in line with Section 68(1) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended).

The Speaker, however, said the lawmaker has failed to quote the whole section he quoted to justify his call to declare the seats vacant.