The battle over who maintains the majority status in the House of Representatives continued yesterday with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), reclaiming the majority it lost at the close of 2013 when 37 of its members defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
As at Tuesday when the House resumed plenary, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were at par following the defection of a member from Nassarawa State, Hon. Joseph Haruna Kigbo from the APC to the PDP bringing their number to 173 to 173.
But the PDP yesterday shortlived that equal number and reclaimed its majority position following another defection of a member from Nassarawa state from the All Progressive Congress (APC), Hon. David Ombugadu to the Peoples Democratic Pary (PDP).
Hon. Ombugadu, in a letter read by the Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, said he decided to dump his Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), under which he was elected for PDP, after consulting with his constituency.
With this latest defection, the PDP now has 174 members against the 172 of the APC which restored it back as the majority party in the House.
Moments after the announcement by the Speaker, PDP members shouted “PDP!” in triumph, with some members accompanying the lawmaker to the PDP leaders in the House for introduction.
However, the APC lawmakers stood up, chanting “APC, Change!” which took the Speaker some minutes before he could restore order in the House.
Ombugadu’s defection brought the total number of cross-defections in the House to seven, with PDP benefiting with higher number of four members, all from APC, since the resumption of the House from the year-end break, two weeks ago.
So far, APC, who was the majority party before the break, only received two members from each of PDP and DPP since their resumption from the break.
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