No fewer than 20 members of the Kwara State House of Assembly yesterday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaker of the Assembly, Barrister Razak Atunwa, who presided over the sitting, was among the defectors but two members; Hons. Abdulfatai Salman and Iliasu Ibrahim declined to dump the PDP.
With the defection of the PDP lawmakers, APC is now having 22 members while the PDP has just two.
22 members were elected on the platform of PDP while the remaining two lawmakers in the 24-member house were originally APC members.
Speaking on why he dumped the party, Atunwa said, “The decision to leave PDP was not made without thorough evaluation and extensive consultations. However, it was abundantly clear that the PDP was fast becoming a sinking ship inhabited by self-serving egomaniacs.
“The party was being run in an entirely dictatorial manner. Its constitution was relegated to the back-end of the bottom drawer in the janitor’s room. Party’s matters were wholly subjected to the whims and caprices of the chairman. Governors were being suspended on the flimsiest of excuses.”
“National officers were being suspended and removed without rhyme or reasons. PDP became an uncontrollable demon. There was complete collapse of internal democracy in the party. All efforts aimed at resolving the differences between the factions in the party were systematically frustrated. This left us with no other option than to join the APC.
“Permit me to remark that it is most unfortunate that the PDP is the party of the federal government and the President who is supposedly the leader of the party in the country did nothing to stem the tide.”
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