- Abbo’s defection boosts ruling party’s hold of Senate
The Chairman, APC caretaker committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, has said since the membership registration exercise of 2013, the party has no authentic register in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking at a meeting of the APC Senate Caucus, yesterday, Buni said some members who left the party in 2018 and joined the opposition party still have their names on the ruling party’s register.
He added that many others who joined the party from 2014 to date do not have their names in the register.
Buni said the revalidation of the party’s membership register has become imperative to expunge names of those who have left it and include those who joined it from 2014 to date in compliance with Article 9:4 of the party’s constitution.
He also disclosed that the caretaker committee has set up a high powered committee made up of eminent party leaders, legal practitioners and other experts to study the reviewed constitution and make recommendations for necessary amendments.
Meanwhile, the defection of Senator Elisha Abbo, representing Adamawa North, to the ruling APC has enhanced the party’s hold of the Senate.
Abbo announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and read during plenary yesterday.
With his defection, APC now has 60 senators, PDP 42 and Young Progressives Party (YPP) one.
The ninth Senate has six vacant seats, occasioned by the death of four senators and election of Duoye Diri and Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, as governor and deputy governor of Bayelsa State respectively. Before their election, Diri represented Bayelsa Central in the Senate while Ewhrudjakpo represented Bayelsa West.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed December 5 for the conduct of by-elections, which include those of the vacant seats in the Senate.
Senator Abbo said he left PDP to contest in the Adamawa State governorship election in 2023.
Addressing newsmen after Senate plenary, yesterday, the lawmaker said though he fought for Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s victory in 2019, the governor chased him out of PDP due to his alleged mismanagement of the party, which he said had led to its polarization.
But PDP has said Senator Abbo must vacate his seat in the Senate.
Reacting to his defection, the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said by his action, he must vacate the hallowed chamber of the Senate.
“He is fully aware of the constitutional implication of his decision to defect to another party; which is that he cannot continue to occupy the seat of the PDP in the Senate.
“The place of any senator who changed parties, except on the grounds provided by the constitution, is very clear and the PDP will not allow Senator Abbo to run away with our mandate. It is impossible.
“Our party has already commenced processes for his replacement with a credible, stable and acceptable person, in the Senate,” the PDP said.
