Two members of the House of Representatives have defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the plenary on Wednesday, read separate letters from Mr Ephraim Nwuzi, who is representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in Rivers State, and Mr David Abel representing Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency in Taraba State, announcing their defections.

Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu; Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu; and leader of the PDP caucus, Kingsley Chinda, separately raised constitutional points of order, asking Gbajabiamila to declare their seats vacant as there were no crises in the PDP in the defectors’ respective states.

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The Speaker, however, described leaders of the opposition as hypocrites, recalling that as Minority Leader in the previous Assemblies he also protested against defections to the PDP but his arguments were dismissed.

Gbajabiamila noted that the PDP failed to lay the foundation of sanctioning illegal defections while in power.

He said, “Like you used to tell me, your points are noted. Any more defections?”

Details later…