Senators who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday kicked when the senator representing Sokoto South, Ibrahim Danbaba, dumped their party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sen Danbaba announced his defection in a letter read on the floor of the senate by its president, Ahmad Lawan, during Wednesday’s plenary.
In the letter, Sen Danbaba explained that his decision to leave PDP was due to the lingering and multifaceted crisis at the zonal level.
Danbaba was nominated by the PDP on July 15, 2022, for the position of deputy minority whip following the defection of the former deputy minority whip, Senator Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (Zamfara North) from the PDP to the APC.
Danbaba’s defection brings the total number of APC senators in the red chamber to 71, PDP 37 and YPP one.
Attempts by Senators Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) and Lilian Uche Ekwunife (PDP, Anambra) to rely on point of order to stop Danbaba’s defection were unsuccessful as the senate president ruled them out of order.
Senator Ekwunife, while relying on the provisions of Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), requested that Danbaba’s seat be declared vacant.
The senate president, however, ruled her out of order, explaining that the reasons advanced by Senator Danbaba were valid and excusable under the law.
