Tension as PDP lures 6 APC governors, 27 lawmakers

The PDP has wrapped up plans with six APC governors and 27 federal lawmakers to defect to the opposition before 2019.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP spokesman said the defectors have been advised by their constituents to make the move.

Issues of party control, he said, had also reached advanced stage and would be completed in a couple of weeks. The governors and lawmakers will announce their defection to the PDP after then.

“In line with decisions reached at the discussions, the members of the National Assembly decamping to the PDP will cross-carpet at the reconvening of session in the two chambers, which will increase the PDP majority in both chambers.

“All grey areas of the agreement, including issues of waivers and accommodation for participation in primaries, are being smoothened out by the former Governor Liyel Imoke-led PDP Contact and Integration Committee, which has been galvanizing our alliances among stakeholders across other parties, including those from the APC.”

Ologbondiyan said the party is ready to take back control of power at the centre, as well as states it describes as its traditional states.

The states the PDP is seeking to take over include Plateau, Niger, Adamawa, Kano, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Imo, Edo as well as southwest states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos.

A gale of defection that hit the APC weeks ago saw party stalwarts like Sen. President Bukola Saraki and 14 others leave the ruling party.

The APC might be heading for more crises with the adoption of the direct primary policy the party introduced lately, which many kick against.