December 21, 2017

A member of the House of Representatives, Johnson Agbonayinma, on Thursday in Abuja announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Agbonayinma represents Egor/Ikpoba Okha Federal Constituency of Edo.

Agbonayinma’s defection came barely 24 hours after another member of PDP from the House, Nnanna Igbokwe, representing Ahiazu, Mbaise/Ezinihite Federal Constituency of Imo left the PDP for the ruling-APC.

In his defection letter read by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Agbonayinma said that he was defecting because the PDP shot the door against him.

“What made me take this step is because the PDP is factionalised and has continued to promote impunity.

“You can recall that I did not participate in the party’s national convention of Dec. 9 held at Eagle Square in Abuja because I belong to the Ali Modu Sheriff’s camp, which tried to put things right in the PDP.

“Sheriff tried to end the impunity that has characterised the PDP by ensuring the return of the party to the people.

“However, the party members refused to allow internal party democracy thrive.

“Today, the party is factionalised; while one faction is at the Wadata Plaza, another is in Asokoro.

“This is not the way to go; the concocted unity list by the governors during the convention further deepened the crisis in the party.

“The PDP has shut the door against me and I have no other alternative than to heed the call of the people who elected me to resign from the PDP and join the APC,’’ Agbonayinma said.

He claimed that he was being intimidated by his colleagues in PDP for opting not to join a walk out over Igbokwe’s defection.

Agbonayinma said that his colleagues vowed to frustrate his motion on Digital Switch Over for refusing to join the walk out.

“It is time to put partisan politics aside and promote national interest,’’ Agbonayinma said.

The House Majority Leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, said that “Agbonayinma took the right decision because his political philosophy is progressive’’.

However, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Rep. Chukwuka Onyema, on behalf of the PDP caucus in the house, bid Agbonayinma farewell.

Onyema said that Agbonayinma’s exit from the PDP leaves the party in a better shape.

NAN reports that Agbonayinma’s defection brings the number of lawmakers who decamped from the PDP to the APC to seven in the last 12 months.