Drama in NASS as 2 PDP Reps. defect to APC

A major drama played out in the House of Representatives as leaders of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), protested the defection of two members elected under the party, Zephaniah Jisalo and Ahmed Tijani, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during Thursday's plenary.
Trouble started soon after Speaker Yakubu Dogara read out the defection letter of Tijani who represents Okene/Ogori-Mangongo Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the Green Chamber.
According to his defection letter, Hon. Tinaji said he dumped the PDP due to crisis in the party.
But the Minority Whip, Yakubu Barde, immediately raised a Point of Order, demanding that Tijani's seat and that of Jisalo's, who represents AMAC/BWARI Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), be declared vacant.Jisalo a former chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council of the FCT, who was accompanied by to the Green Chambers by the minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello, and other supporters, according to his defection letter, said he dumped the PDP due to crisis in the party. A visibly angry Barde, cited Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which states that seat of a member of the Senate or House of Representatives be declared vacant should he/she defect to another party, without a division in his old party.

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