The minority status of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP further shrank today as Andy Uba the Senator representing Anambra South, officially defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC at the Senate plenary.
Reading his defection letter earlier today by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, explained that Uba was exploiting section 68(1)(G), which had been validly tested in the Supreme Court, just as he said he had already enrolled his membership with APC in his ward.
in the letter, Senator Uba told the Senate that he had dumped his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
With Senator Uba’s defection, the number of PDP senators has now reduced to 42, while that of APC has risen to 65.
Reacting to the announcement, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, who rose under Order 43, said his seat must be declared vacant and made to surrender his mandate.
Akpabio, who explained that the mandate belonged to the PDP, said if he failed, they would go to court.
He said: “Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, the mandate belongs to PDP, and by virtue of what has happened, he has to surrender his seat, else we will go to court to contend for it.”
The Minority Leader, however, advised the Senate President to remove him as Chairman of Public Accounts Committee to save the Senate of any confusion.
Uba currently chairs the Committee on Public Accounts, a seat that is traditionally reserved for the opposition party.
It would be recalled that Public Accounts Committee is the only committee in the Senate and House of Representatives that reflects in the constitution and is always headed by the opposition.
Senator Uba’s defection came barely a month and two days after Senator Nelson Asuquo Effiong, Akwa Ibom South, dumped the PDP for the APC.
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