Another member of the Labour Party (LP) in the House of Representatives from Plateau State, Rep. Dalyop Chollom representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal constituency has dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajuddeen announced the defection on Tuesday through a letter read on the floor during plenary.
The lawmakers stated in the letter that he defected from the LP to the APC after deep reflection and as a result of the crisis rocking the party in the country.
He said that the political future of his constituents was sacrosanct and believed that he would serve his people better in the ruling party.
However, the House Minority Leader, Rep. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) raised a Point of Order and quoted Section 68 (1) (d) of the Constitution and called the defection a nullity.
He prayed that the House reject the letter of defection sent by the lawmaker.
“We cannot continue to put the cart before the horse. That letter you read was not right,” Chinda stated.
The Rivers lawmaker added that the lawmaker should provide evidence of his resignation from the party to back his claim.
He was however cut short by the Speaker who said he had seen everything and was satisfied with what the lawmaker presented.
Chinda however argued that if the Speaker is satisfied, then he should follow what the Constitution stated about the seat of a lawmaker who defected from his party and moved to another party.
“If you say the letter he wrote is in order, you declare his seat vacant,” he told the speaker.
However, the Speaker insisted that had gone through what the lawmaker presented and ruled the Minority Leader out of order.
Similarly, Rep. George Ozodinobi (Anambra, LP) said the defection was disheartening because the LP had no crisis of any form.
Senator Samuel Lalong, who resigned as a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet was in the chambers to witness the announcement of the defection of the Plateau State lawmaker.
NewsNGR reports that five lawmakers consisting of four Labour Party (LP) and one Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member defected to the APC last Thursday.
The four LP lawmakers who defected to the APC include; Rep.Tochukwu Chinedu Okere (LP, Imo), Rep. Donatus Matthew (LP, Kaduna), Rep. Akiba Bassey (LP, Cross River) and Rep.Esosa Iyawe (LP, Edo).
The daughter of the former governor of Delta State, James Ibori, Rep. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu defected from the PDP to the APC.