Why I left PDP for APC – Rep

The numerical strength of Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives was depleted on Wednesday as a member, Edward Pwajok, defected to the All Progressives Congress.

In his defection letter read by the Speaker of the house, Yakubu Dogara, during plenary, Pwajok said he was leaving the PDP due to the crisis in the party.

According to him, there are many divisions in PDP, from national level between the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi factions to Plateau State between Badung and Damishi Sango factions.

In a swift reaction, the Minority Leader of the House, Leo Ogor (Delta-PDP), raised a point of order to fault Pwajok’s claim that the PDP was factionalised.

He said going by the Appeal Court’s judgment, Sheriff is the National Chairman of the PDP.

Ogor, therefore, urged Pwajok to vacate his seat.

He said: “We are presently in court and you are aware that Sheriff is the chairman of the party.

“I find it totally unacceptable and we demand that Pwajok vacates his seat.” 

But welcoming Pwajok to the APC, the Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, urged more PDP legislators to capitalise on the crisis within the party to cross over to the ruling party.

In his remarks, Dogara said the legality of Pwajok’s defection would be left for the court to decide.

The Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, who was at the chamber to witness the defection, later told newsmen that Pwajok’s defection would open the floodgate for other PDP legislators from the state to join the APC.

Lalong said some other PDP legislators in the state were ready to move to the APC.

Also speaking to newsmen, Pwajok said he was ready for the PDP if the party approached the court over the matter.

He said: “Section 68 (1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution is clear that where there are divisions in a party, a member can defect to another party.”