QUESTION: Why is PDP losing its ‘minority share’ in the senate?

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been hit by an avalanche of defections in the eighth senate.

The party, which had the majority seats in the legislature for more than a decade, is even beginning to lose its minority share to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nevertheless, it is understandable. Since the PDP lost the 2015 presidential election to the APC, the party has been on life-support. It has stumbled from one crisis to another.

The former ruling party is torn between two opposing blocs – Ahmed Makarfi camp and Ali Modu Sheriff camp – over leadership. And some of its strong members, most especially in the south-east, where it commanded influence and support, have jilted it like a philanderer does after a one-night stand.

Since the inauguration of the eighth senate in June 9 2015, about four senators from the party have left for the APC.

JOSHUA DARIYE

On September 22, 2016, Dariye, a senator from Plateau state and ex-governor, announced his departure from the former ruling party in a letter read on the floor of the upper legislative chamber by Senate President Bukola Saraki.

He cited the crisis in the PDP as the reason for his decision. He said his supporters had left the party in droves; hence he saw no reason to keep his umbilical cord there.

“My decision is informed by the protracted division at the national level of the PDP… this led to the massive movement of my supporters to the APC,” he wrote.

“Arising from this, I therefore write to formally inform you of my decision to go along with my supporters. I thank you for your understanding.”

Alexander Mwolwus, a PDP chieftain in Plateau, had described Dariye’s defection as a sham, saying he was trying to escape prosecution for corruption.

“He is only looking for a soft landing and an escape from the anti-graft agencies, which are investigating and prosecuting him,” he had said.

Dariye is facing corruption charges for allegedly diverting Plateau state ecological fund to the tune of N1.16bn.

In 2004, he fled the United Kingdom where he was being tried for money laundering.

OMOYELE OMOGUNWA

In November 2016, Omogunwa, a senator from Ondo state, announced his defection from the PDP to the APC on the floor of the senate.

He cited the need to support Rotimi Akeredolu, governor-elect of his state, as the reason for his decision.

Reacting to the announcement, Godswill Akpabio, senate minority leader, urged Saraki to immediately declare Omogunwa’s seat vacant. He said there was no crisis in his party, so, the Ondo legislator had no reason to leave.

But the senate president turned down his request – a decision which caused much cacophony at the chamber.

In protest, all the PDP senators present staged a walkout. Akpabio later vowed that the party leadership would challenge the decision.

NELSON EFFIONG

The dust raised by Omogunwa’s departure had not settled when Nelson Effiong, a senator from Akpabio’s state of Akwa Ibom, quit the PDP.

Nelson had announced that he was defecting to the APC because of the crisis in the PDP.

“No reasonable politician who is worth his salt would remain and allow his people to be drifting about without a direction,” he had said.

“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.”

Akpabio opposed Effiong, saying he had automatically lost his seat because he became a senator on the platform of the PDP.

‎He said his party would go to court challenge the continued stay of the legislator in the upper legislative chamber.

ANDY UBA

Uba is the latest PDP senator to abandon the former ruling party. Unlike his colleagues, the senator from Anambra south announced his departure from the PDP at a news conference at his country home in Uga, Aguata local government area of the state.

He revealed that he joined the APC at the ongoing registration of party members in the state.

According to him, the APC has ideology and focus which he needed to tap into to provide quality representation for his constituents.

Uba said he joined the APC because there were personalities with sound ideas in the party, and listed some of them to include Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, and George Muoghalu, national auditor of the ruling party.

He said with such calibre of people, the party would take the state to enviable heights.

Now, with the exit of these senators, the PDP seats at the senate have plummeted to 41, while the APC maintains the majority seats of 65.