Sokoto State House of Assembly is a 30-member House once dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by as of now, it has transmuted to an APC-dominated Assembly courtesy of a mutiny yesterday in which 27 members including the Speaker and principal officers defected to the new APC to join the state governor, Aliyu Wamakko, who had earlier ditched the PDP for the APC.
Twenty seven out of the 30 members of the Assembly took the decision to move the APC on Wednesday, citing the paralysis and disintegration in the PDP. They said they were better off being in the camp of the Governor.
Governor Wamakko along with five other governors formerly of the PDP had late last year dumped the PDP to pursue their political fortune in the newly formed APC. The latest development in Sokoto Assembly is a pointer to more defections to APC from the PDP, Political Economist investigation has shown.
The Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Malami Basakkwace, said the Assembly members did not breach any law as the law allows for defection in the case of disunity in a party such as “you can see in the PDP”.
Basakkwace said the defectors had the backing of their constituents who mounted pressure on them to join the Governor in the APC. 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, adding that the law justifies their movement.
A defecting member, Abdulsamad Dasuki, in justifying their action taunted the PDP thus:“The PDP Umbrella is torn and we have to follow the wishes of our people,” he said.
“I am sure the three remaining members will do the same when they finally come back, they were absent today (Wednesday) due to illness and other commitments,” he said.
Sokoto State Governor, Wamakko had, alongside four of his colleagues – Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Ahmed Abdulfatah of Kwara- quit the PDP for the APC in October last year, thus setting the stage for what political pundits said will occasion a strong two-party system in Nigeria.
