2023: APC Loses Another Senator To Opposition Party

The nation’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost yet another senator to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

This is as two lawmakers on Wednesday announced their defection from their former political parties and pledged allegiance to another party ahead of the 2023 general election, Naija News reports.

The two lawmakers are revealed as Francis Ezenwa Onyewusi and Haliru Dauda Jika.

Onyewusi who was representing Imo East Senatorial district under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to Labour Party while Jika who was representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District under the platform of the APC dumped the party for NNPP.

Naija News understands that their defection was made known by the Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan during a plenary on Wednesday.

The defected Senators cited marginalization in their former political parties which allegedly made them fail in the primary elections.

Meanwhile, at least three more lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have ahead of the 2023 general elections, renounced their membership of the ruling party to join opposition parties.

The development has thereby reduced the number of APC senators in the current National Assembly from 70 to 67, Naija News understands.

The defecting lawmakers are revealed as Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi South), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo North).

Their defection was confirmed in separate letters read during plenary at the Red chamber on Tuesday by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.