by Oke Efagene

A majority of members of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Lawmakers said that out of the 30 members of the Assembly, 27 of them have made the decision to  move to the APC today.

Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Malami Basakkwace, told newsmen over the telephone that the members decided to move to APC to follow the state governor, Aliyu Wamakko, who was one of the 5 governors who defected to the APC.

Premium Times report:

“We are moving in line the decision of his Excellency Governor Aliyu Wamakko to also move over to the APC,” he said. The defectors include the speaker of the assembly and other principal officials.

Mr. Basakkwace also said since the defection of the governors, people from the 27 constituencies have mounted pressure on the legislators to follow the governor. He added that the crisis in the PDP, which led to the factionalisation of the party at both state and national level, also made them leave.

Another member, Abdulsamad Dasuki, also told PREMIUM TIMES that Nigeria’s constitution allows them freedom of association, and that the crisis in the PDP appears to be increasing by the day.

“The PDP Umbrella is torn and we have to follow the wishes of our people,” he said.

Mr. Dasuki also said the three remaining members may also defect.

“I am sure they would do the same when they finally came back, they were absent today (Wednesday) due to illness and other commitments,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the lawmakers moved from the Assembly complex, where they took the decision to defect on Wednesday, to the Sokoto Government House to inform Mr. Wamakko of their decision.

Mr. Wamakko had, alongside four of his fellow governors – Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Ahmed Abdulfatah of Kwara- announced in October their decision to defect to the APC.