APC, PDP Reps clash over lawmakers defection

Henry Omunu, Abuja
The House of Representatives on Thursday witnessed a rowdy session following disagreement following the defection of two lawmakers from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The two defecting lawmakers are Rep. Zephaniah Jisalo, who represents AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency in the Federal Capital Territory and Rep. Abdullahi Bello, who represents Okene/Ogori-Mangongo Federal Constituency of Kogi State.

Trouble began when Speaker Yakubu Dogara read out the letter written by the two House members announcing their defection from the PDP to the APC.

According to the defecting lawmakers, they were leaving the PDP for the ruling APC because the PDP is factionalized.

But the reason for the defection was stoutly opposed by PDP lawmakers led by the Deputy Minority Whip, Rep. Umar Barde and Rep. Nicholas Ossai (PDP/Delta), both of who cited relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution and demanded the two men to vacate their seats.

According to them there was no faction in the PDP to justify the defection of the two former PDP House members to the APC.

Defending the action of the defectors, House Deputy Whip, Rep. Pally Iriase queried the interpretation of the constitution by the PDP lawmakers since they were not lawyers.

This infuriated PDP House members led by Rep. Diri Douye (PDP/Bayelsa), who demanded the retraction of the statement made by Rep. Iriase, alluding to Rep. Ossai as “a fake lawyer”.

Rep. Iriase stood his ground by asserting that to the best of his knowledge, Rep. Ossai was not a lawyer and so the statement was not directed at him.

Order was however restored by Speaker Dogara, who sensed that tempers were rising. He immediately ruled by declining that “defection in political parties is not defined. It is left for the judiciary to do their work”.
The speaker’s quick intervention restored order.

The defection by the two lawmakers was witnessed by the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, who led a strong delegation of APC members in the FCT.