Mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) especially aspirants that lost tickets in the just concluded primaries of the party, is looming in Benue State, Leadership has learnt. This is even as there was serious fracas in the Benue State House of Assembly and the House session halted when a lawmaker announced his defection from the PDP to the APC. Many other lawmakers who had contested the PDP primaries and lost are all set to decamp to opposition party. The deputy governor of the state, Chief Steven Lawani who lost the PDP governorship ticket in the primaries is also set to defect to the leading opposition party, the APC. Lawani is aggrieved because, according to sources, he was denied ticket to fulfill the aspirations of the Idomas to rule the state. However, the defecting lawmaker, Mr. Baba Odeh is representing Otukpo/Akpa state constituency and had decamped to the APC because he could not win the ticket of the PDP in the just concluded primaries. Odeh is the chairman House Committee on Finance and also leader of G23, a group of all PDP lawmakers in the state. Fracas ensued in the State House of Assembly during plenary, when the speaker, Terhile Ayua (PDP) refused to announce the defection of Odeh despite having formally written to the House over his intention to defect to another political party. The situation caused the lawmakers to trade words angrily. The defections are expected to continue.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 08:59:08 +0000