A total of 37 members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dumped the party.
Of this number, 32 joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while four joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC). One later announced he was also leaving the APC but did not state his new party.
Announcing their defection on Tuesday during plenary, the first 36 lawmakers cited division at all levels of the APC as the reason for their defection.
Prominent among the defectors are Sani Rano, Barry Mpigi, Ali Madaki, Dickson Tackighir, Hassan Saleh, Danburam Nuhu, Mark Gbilah, Razak Atunwa, Ahmed Bichi, Abdulsamad Dasuki and Zakari Mohammed.
Neither the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, nor his deputy, Yusuff Lasun, was named among the defectors.
Few minutes after the 36 announced their defection, the chairman of the House of Representatives Rules and Business, Orker Jev, announced he was also resigning from the APC.
He cited division in the APC as his reason for leaving the party. He, however, did not announce the party he is moving to.
Recall that Senator Dino Melaye, former Governor of Kano, Rabiu Kwankwaso and 13 other Senators from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have earlier defected to the PDP.
