Drama as 14 APC senators, 37 Reps defect to PDP, ADC

A gale of defection on Tuesday hit the National Assembly with 37 members of the House of Representatives and 14 senators leaving the All Progressives Congress.

But President Muhammadu Buhari while reacting to the defection from the APC in the National Assembly said it would not impact negatively on the party.

Buhari said this in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

Shehu quoted the President as urging members of the APC not to despair over the development which he described as a “seasonal occurrence.”

He then wished the lawmakers who left the party well in their future endeavours.

The statement read, “President Buhari assured members of the APC of his total support and urged party faithful not to despair but to see the defections as a seasonal occurrence that happens on election eve.

“He expressed confidence that no harm or injury will be done to the party and its aspirations by the movements. President Buhari wished all the defected members the best in their future undertakings.”

Buhari also expressed his total commitment to the values of democracy, freedom of choice as well as total willingness to work with all members of the National Assembly, irrespective of their political party, for the benefit of the nation.

He noted that none of the defecting federal lawmakers had any specific grievances against him or his government.

Defectors are big masqueraders without electoral value – Oshiomhole

But the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday met with President Buhari a few hours after some members of the party in the National Assembly dumped the party.

Oshiomhole told State House correspondents at the end of the meeting with the President that he and the party were not disturbed by the gale of defection.

He said, “My attitude is like I have told you before, as the National Chairman, I am committed to listening to very legitimate grievances and engaging all those who are aggrieved that we can see through their grievances, but I insist that I will not miss sleep for one minute over mercenary activities.

“I have said it and I want to repeat it that this business of governance must be driven by men and women of honour.

“If the only motivation is personal interest; ‘what is in it for me?’ ‘What have I gained?’ and ‘How many people have I done xyz for?’ If that is the basis, the earlier those in this business of personal gains return to where they belong, the better.

“This party that I am privileged to chair is not worried at all, we are not disturbed. I am not going to miss my sleep and we will go into the campaign.

“Check the electoral results, you will find that a lot of those who claimed to have defected, on a good day, the votes they got that made them members of the Senate, our President got much more votes in their constituencies. So, we are not fooled at all.

“The thing going on is that you have a lot of so-called big masqueraders with very little and no electoral value.”

Oshiomhole said he had tried his best in trying to give comfort to those who claimed to be aggrieved.

He however said he would not appease those who had other hidden agendas that were not negotiable.

He said those under such category were those who expected a level of personal return and the system was not delivering.

The party chairman said he was happy that over time, water would find its level.

He added, “If you remember what I said the day I formally declared my interest to contest; I said to be a progressive party means we must be clear that it cannot be a party for everyone.

“We have to be sure that you subscribe to the values and ideals of a progressive party.  If indeed you belong to the extreme right, and you mistakenly find yourself in a progressive party, obviously that is not where you belong.

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