BREAKING: Jubilation as APC defeats PDP in top defection fight

• The PDP has been dealt with another big blow as Chris Nkwonta, a lawmaker representing Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency in Abia state, dumped the party
• Nkwonta, during a plenary at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, October 2, announced his move to the APC
• Aliyu Madaki, the deputy minority leader, protested against Nkwonta's defection, but Speaker Tajudeen Abbas overruled his protest, citing factions in the opposition party

Chris Nkwonta, representing Abia's Ukwa East/Ukwa West federal constituency, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaker Tajudeen Abbas made the announcement during plenary on Wednesday, October 2, sparking cheers from APC lawmakers. However, Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Madaki protested, citing Section 68 of the Constitution, which requires a party crisis for defection.

PDP federal lawmaker joins APC Photo Credit: @Imranmuhdz, @FrancisAdeboye
Source: Twitter

Abbas overruled the deputy minority leader

The Cable reported that Abbas overruled, stating there was a PDP faction, and appointed Nkwonta chair of the South East Development Commission committee.

This is amid the leadership crisis rocking the PDP, which is fueled by factions between former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister, Nyesom Wike, and the crisis between the party's governors.

Recently, the faction of the former vice president has been calling for the sack of the acting national chairman, Umar Damagun, over the national working committee's refusal to initiate disciplinary action against those who worked against the party during the 2023 presidential election.

Dino Melaye calls for Damagum sack

Former Senator Dino Melaye has publicly called for the sack of Damagum, saying that the party is dead as long as acting remained at the helm of the party's affairs.

On the other hand, the party crisis escalated when the governors announced a plan to take over the party's leadership structure in Rivers state from Wike and hand it over to Governor Siminalay Fubara, who had been at loggerheads with the minister soon after he resumed office.

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Source: Legit.ng