…As APC Loses Two Lawmakers To ADC, PRP

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, is to meet with opposition lawmakers in the House on Thursday, June 4, to brainstorm on the possible composition of new minority leadership.

This is just as two members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resigned from the ruling party and defected to the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

Speaker Abbas announced the meeting, which is due to be held in the House’s old chamber, and the defection of the two lawmakers at the beginning of Wednesday’s plenary session.

Recall that the House minority had been without the full complement of leadership following the emergence of the erstwhile minority leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, as the APC gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State and the defection of the deputy minority leader, Hon. Garba Madaki, and the minority whip, Hon. Ali J.C., to the APC.

New Telegraph had earlier reported that three candidates are already in contention for the position of minority leader. They include the current deputy minority whip, Hon. George Ozodinobi (NDC, Anambra), Hon. Victor Ogene (NDC, Anambra), and Hon. Alex Egbona (PDP, Cross River).

A new leadership is expected to emerge at the end of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the defection spree continued Thursday as Hon. Rabilu Bala, representing Jama’are/Itas/Gadde federal constituency of Bauchi state, dumped the APC for the PRP, while Hon. Baba Zango, representing Yola North/Yola South/Girei federal constituency of Adamawa state, jettisoned the APC for the ADC.

Both lawmakers left the APC due to the unfavourable outcome of the just-concluded primaries, which threw them out of the 2027 general elections.