Three senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), citing prolonged internal crises within the opposition party.
The senators — Amos Yohanna (Adamawa North), Aminu Abbas (Adamawa Central), and Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara North) — formally announced their defection during plenary on Wednesday.
Their letters of defection were read on the floor of the Senate by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
In his letter, Yohanna said he decided to leave the PDP due to deepening divisions within the party’s national leadership.
“I write to formally notify you that I have resigned my membership of the People’s Democratic Party, which sponsored my election to the Senate representing Adamawa North senatorial district, and to announce my defection to the All Progressives Congress,” he said.
He explained that his decision followed a prolonged internal crisis within the party.
“This decision follows prolonged and unresolved internal divisions within the party at a national level, which have significantly impaired its cohesion and effective functioning of the party,” Yohanna added.
According to him, the persistent disputes within the party have weakened its structure and operational stability.
“The persistent crisis has created a structural fracture within the party affecting its national leadership and operational stability,” he said.
Yohanna further stated that his defection was in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
“In view of the foregoing and pursuant to Section 68 Subsection 1G of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended, which permits a member of the Senate or a member of the Legislature to retain his seat where defection arises from a division in the political party at a national level, particularly that sponsored this election,” he said.
“I hereby formally notify the Senate of my decision and my formal defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
Similarly, Senator Abbas, in his own letter, said he had resigned from the PDP and joined the APC with immediate effect.
“I write to formally inform you and my distinguished colleagues in this hallowed chamber of my decision to resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party and officially defect to the All Progressives Congress with immediate effect,” Abbas said.
He also cited constitutional provisions permitting lawmakers to defect where there is a division within the party that sponsored their election.
“This move is pursuant to the provisions of Section 68 of Section 1G of the 1999 constitution as amended, which permits a member of the national assembly to defect to any political party of his choice where there is a division in the national leadership of the party that sponsored his election,” he said.
Abbas argued that the situation within the PDP clearly meets the constitutional definition of a party division.
“The prevailing conditions within the PDP clearly meet the constitutional threshold of the word division as recognized by the extant judicial interpretations of the above provisions of the Constitution,” he added.
He further noted that persistent leadership tussles and internal crises within the party informed his decision to leave the PDP.
The third senator, Ikra Bilbis, also announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, adding to the growing list of lawmakers who have switched allegiance amid the ongoing political realignments ahead of future elections.
