Two members of the House of Representatives, Zephaniah Jisalo and Yusuf Tijjani, have defected from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
The duo informed the House of their defection in a letter read on the floor by the speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
Messrs. Jisalo and Tijjani who represent AMAC/Bwari federal constituency of the FCT and Okene/Ogori-Magogo federal constituency of Kogi State respectively in their letter attributed their defection to division in the various state chapters of their party.
In a swift reaction, the minority whip of the house, Umar Barde, cited Section 68 of Nigerian constitution which states that a legislator will automatically vacate his seat if he/she leaves his political party without division.
But the speaker ruled that only the court could decide the fate of the defected members.
Earlier this year, three members of the House also defected from the People’s Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
They include Edward Pwajok (Plateau), Hassan Saleh (Benue) and Adamu Kamale (Adamawa).
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