Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, protested the defection of one of their members, Chris Nkwonta, representing Ukwa East/West of Abia State, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) but failed to stop his defection.
Hon Nkwonta officially defected on Wednesday during plenary after the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas made the announcement.
But as soon as the announcement was made, Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Madaki led his other members to register their protest.
Hon Madaki quoted a section of the constitution and called for Nwonta’s seat to be declared vacant.
The speaker however told Madaki that he is aware of a faction in PDP and declared Hon Nkwonta’s defection valid.
His defection came on the heels of calls from notable party leaders and critical stakeholders in his constituency who urged him to defect to the APC a day earlier.
Nkwonta was the only House of Representatives member elected in Abia on the PDP platform in the 2023 elections.
At a stakeholders’ meeting in Obehie, Ukwa West LGA, which was attended by John Ajuzieogu, Goodhope Nwagbara, and 37 others, the stakeholders frowned, in a press statement issued by the former chief of staff to the governor, Don Ubani, at the leadership crisis in the PDP and urged Nkwonta to defect immediately.
They said, “We will align and holistically support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”, and called on the rep member not to delay leaving the PDP.