Sen. Nelson Effiong representing Akwa Ibom South Federal Constituency, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Effiong announced his decision to defect on the floor on the Senate during plenary on Thursday.
With his defection, the APC senators in the Senate is now 64 while the PDP is 43.
Giving reasons for his defection, he said that the PDP was no longer organised adding that he could no longer work with a disorganised party.
“”I have decided that no reasonable politician who is worth his salt would remain and allow his people to be drifting about without a direction.
“So I have decided today, the 19th day of January, 2017 to resign from the PDP and move to the party that is bringing peace and direction to this country, the APC. So I move.”
The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki noted his defection and did not give room for any comments as demanded by Order 43 upon which Sen. Effiok spoke.
In a swift response, Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha, also relying on Order 43 to make a personal explanation said that he feared for the seat of Sen. Effiok.
He however said that the comment of the decampee senator was an insult.
“I want to say Mr. President that what he has said appears to be an insult to those of us who are in the PDP that “a politician that is worth his salt” that is an insult.
“If you want to do the usual business in the Nigerian politics of following the weather he should say it clearly.
“Let him not deviate from the original intentions he has that is our position. We are going to meet in Philippine.
Later, the Minority leader of the Senate Senator Godswill Akpabio who was away at the time of the defection noted that the senator decamping was illegal.
He said that the senator has the right as an individual to decamp but that he could not take with him the mandate of the people which belongs to the party.
He said that he would go back to Akwa Ibom and challenge the matter is court so that the right thing is done and the mandate is withdrawn from the senator.
“I need to let the senate and the senate president know that in terms of the court decisions up to the Supreme Court that it is not an individual that contest election it is a political party.
“Therefore the moment somebody takes the mandate of a political party it behooves on that political party to immediately take steps.
“I want it to be noted in this senate that the PDP in Akwa Ibom state is already on its way to court and we would want to reclaim our mandate.
“We must reclaim the mandate given to us and we don’t mind the distinguished senator joining the APC but he will not go with the mandate given to us in Akwa Ibom state.
“The reason why I am standing today it is the PDP, tomorrow it might be APC,” he said.
Source: NAN
