Udora Orizu writes that in the run-up to the 2023 general election, alignment and realignment of forces have begun, as some lawmakers in the Senate and the House of Representatives are defecting from the party that gave them platform to the ruling All Progressives Congress
It has been an interesting few months in the Ninth National Assembly. As the country gears up for the 2023 general election, political parties as usual, are trying to find an edge over each other, giving rise to the recent gale of defections from one political party to another, particularly to the ruling APC by some members of the minority caucus in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Since the return of the country to civilian rule in 1999, Nigerians have witnessed defections over and over again both in the executive and legislature. An example was during the run-up to the 2015 general election, when some members of the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) massively defected to the APC which had just been formed from four legacy parties. The reverse was again the case in the run-up to the 2019 general election when some APC members defected to the PDP.
In Nigeria, politicians don’t just defect for the sake of it. Though they usually hinge their reason for defecting to the so-called ‘crisis or factionalisation’ in their current party, most times their defection is usually determined by what they hope to gain in their new party.
Ironically, some politicians are usually hostile to the opposition party, only for them to seek solace in the same opposition party they had previously abused.
Again, opposition party members also defect to the ruling party, which they had previously accused of non-performance.
This justifies the belief that in politics, there is no permanent friends or enemies but only permanent interest.
The Defections
Just like in the previous assemblies, ninth National Assembly in the 2020 legislative year witnessed a gale of defections with many of the main opposition federal lawmakers defecting to the ruling APC.
It all started on November 25, 2020 when the Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mallam Mai Mala Buni told Nigerians to expect more shocking defections from the minority parties to the ruling party.
Governor Buni, who made the disclosure at a meeting with APC Senate caucus in the National Assembly, said his leadership reconciliation drive had encouraged aggrieved chieftains of his party to return even as he boasted that Nigerians would soon experience unprecedented defections in the history of political parties.
Same day, the senator representing Adamawa North in the National Assembly, Elisha Abbo dumped the opposition PDP for the ruling APC. In the letter announcing his defection, which was addressed to the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, Abbo attributed his decision to defect to the APC to the mismanagement of the PDP in Adamawa State by Governor Umaru Fintiri.
Meanwhile, at the House of Representatives, on October 7 2020, two members, Ephraim Nwuzi from Rivers State and David Abel from Taraba State defected from the PDP to the APC.
In their letters read at plenary by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers hinged their decision to join the ruling party on the charismatic and purposeful leadership of the Speaker.
Again on October 17, another member of the House, Hon. Kolawole Lawal representing Egbado South/Ipokia Federal Constituency in Ogun State defected from Allied Peoples Movement (APM) to the APC. The lawmaker announced the defection in letter read by the Speaker, Gbajabiamila at the plenary.
Also, on December 15, 2020, two members of the House of Representatives, Hon. Datti Yako from Kano State and Hon. Danjuma Shittu from Taraba State, defected to the APC. While Yako left the PDP, Shittu defected from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
In their defection letters equally read by the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers cited leadership crises and factionalisation in their respective states as reasons for leaving the parties upon which they were elected.
Reacting as usual, House Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu urged Gbajabiamila to declare the two seats vacant, citing relevant sections of the constitution and the fact that he was not aware of any crisis in the party.
Corroborating Elumelu’s opinion, his deputy, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, insisted that there was no crisis in the party and urged the Speaker to put a stop to illegal defections.
According to him, “There is a subsisting Supreme Court judgment, which states that it was only a crisis at the national level of parties that could prompt a defection of any lawmaker.’’
Again, Gbajabiamila dismissed the protests by the opposition leaders and ruled in favour of his defecting colleagues, adding that with Yako’s defection, all the 24 members from Kano State are APC members.
Barely 24 hours later on December 16, another member of the House. Hon. Tajudeen Adefisoye from Ondo State defected from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the APC.
Adefisoye, in his defection letter read at the plenary by the Speaker hinged his decision to dump SDP to the irreconcilable leadership crisis within the party.
On December 17, another loss hit the opposition party, as a member of the PDP from Abia State, Hon. Sam Onuigbo, announced his defection to the APC.
Onuigbo’s defection was received with a standing ovation by members of the APC family including former Governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, who was admitted into the chamber to witness the ceremony.
In his defection letter, Onuigbo said he decided to join the APC as a result of crisis and lack of internal democracy and outright impunity within the PDP.
But, the defection of the lawmaker, who is one of the oldest members of the House created uproar from members of the opposition, who insisted that the constitution has been breached and therefore his seat should be declared vacant.
One of the opposition lawmakers, Hon. Solomon Bob, described the action as a charade as there was no crisis within the PDP to necessitate the defection.
On his part, the minority leader, Elumelu, asked the House to invoke the provisions of Section 68 of the Constitution and declare the seat vacant, pointing out that the claim of a crisis within the PDP was false.
Gbajabiamila however, recalled that, “Some years ago, the Senate President and the Speaker of the House defected to the PDP. Did you ask for their seats to be declared vacant? Now, that former Speaker has left the PDP and rejoined the APC. Are you saying I should declare his seat vacant?’’
As the 2021 legislative year commenced, the minority caucus again continued to lose more of its members. At the plenary February 16, two House members, Hon. Blessing Onuh and Hon. Yakubu Abdullahi announced their defection to the APC.
While, Onuh who represents Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency of Benue State, joined the APC from APGA, Abdullahi who represents Bauchi Federal Constituency, also dumped the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) for the APC.
A week later, precisely on February 23, 2021 a member representing Ondo East/Ondo West Federal Constituency in the House, Hon. Abiola Peter Makinde, defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to the APC.
Few months later, on June 29,2021, Senator Mohammed Hassan (Zamfara Central) defected from PDP through a letter written to that effect, citing alleged crisis rocking the party in Zamfara State.
The next day, three PDP senators defected in separate letters written to the Senate President, Lawan. They are the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Sahabi Ya’u (Zamfara North) , Senator Lawali Hassan Anka ( Zamfara West) and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North).
The three senators in their separate letters hinged their defections from the PDP to the APC to alleged crises rocking the PDP in their respective states. The defection boosts APC lawmakers’ number in the Senate to 70.
Also on June 29, at the House of Representatives, two members of PDP defected to the APC. The members are Hon. Idagbo Ochiglegor representing Obanliku/Obudu/Bekwarra and Hon. Michael Etaba representing Obubra federal constituencies of Cross River State. Their defection came few weeks after Cross River State Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade joined the APC.
Yet again, on July 6, few days after Governor Bello Matawalle defected to the APC, four House members of the PDP from Zamfara State, just like their colleagues in the Senate, defected to APC.
The lawmakers are, Hon. Bello Hassan Shinkafi, Hon. Ahmed Bakura, Hon. Ahmed Shehu and Hon. Suleiman Gumi.
In a letter signed by Hon. Suleiman Gumi, which was read at plenary by the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers hinged their decision to leave the PDP to the crisis within it, which led to dissolution of the state chapter by the national leadership of the party.
The next day, another member of PDP in the House, Hon. Jonathan Gbefwi Gaza defected to the APC. The defection was witnessed by a delegation from Nasarawa State led by Governor Abdullahi Sule.
The gale of defections took a dramatic turn on July 14, when the Speaker, Gbajabiamila, announced at the plenary that another Zamfara State lawmaker, Hon. Kabiru Ahmadu has decided to defect to the APC. This again sparked reactions from the Minority Leader, Elumelu who said there was no crisis in Zamfara PDP, vowing that the party will challenge the defection in court.
He said: “Mr. Speaker, there is no crisis in the PDP in Zamfara State. Section 68 of the Constitution and the House rules require that any member who defects to another party should lose his job. But we are challenging this in court and I do hope that when the court rules on it, you will accept the decision of the court.”
Corroborating, Elumelu’s statement, the Deputy Minority Leader, Okechukwu, raising a point of order, accused Gbajabiamila of constantly breaching the Constitution with his acceptance of defectors into the APC.
He said: “We observe with dismay the continued disobedience of our Constitution by the speaker who continues to ignore the provisions of the Constitution.”
Interjecting, the Speaker chided Okechukwu for the language he used, urging him to take a seat as he overruled his point of order.
The House Leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa, also raised a point of order, saying that the language Okechukwu used to address the Speaker was inciting, unacceptable and hence he should apologise.
Gbajabiamila however took exception to the language used by the Deputy Minority Leader, saying that he was not a court that had the duty to interpret the constitution.
“When you are given the privilege to move a point of order, you go straight to the point of order. You do not have the right to address the Chair in any language you choose. I am not here to interpret the Constitution. That is for the court to do. My duty here is to preside over this House and make announcements where necessary. It is not my duty to decide whether there is a crisis in any party or not. That is for the Courts to do. So, you are ruled out of order”, he said.
With the recent defections, the rank of the APC has continued to swell, as they take up more seats in the chambers previously occupied by the minority caucus.
As it stands today, the number of APC lawmakers in the House has grown to 237 while the PDP has 116 members.
