Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal
The Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday regained its majority status in the House of Representatives following the defection of five members of the All Progressives Congress to the PDP.
The PDP, which had earlier lost the majority status in the House to the APC, now has 178 lawmakers to APC’s 168.
Although the APC also gained one member from the PDP on Tuesday, the latter is now in the majority.
The APC had moved to 172 members on December 19, 2013 after 37 PDP lawmakers defected to the party.
The APC lawmaker who defected to the PDP on Tuesday were, Mr. Lawan Shehu-Bichi (Kano); Mr. Abdulsalam Asamu (Kano); Mr. Sani Dangaladima (Zamfara); Mr. Ibrahim Shehu-Gusua (Zamfara); and Mr. Umar Bature (Sokoto).
The member who defected to the APC from PDP was Isa Ashiru from Kaduna State.
Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, read letters the lawmakers wrote individually, informing their colleagues of their decision to change political parties.
Members of the PDP reacted to the development with wild jubilation.
Some members of the party were so excited that they rushed to Shehu-Gusua and carried him up.
For a few minutes, there was disorderliness on the floor of the lower chamber as members ran to the Majority Leader, Mrs. Mulikat Akande-Adeola, scrambling to shake hands with her.
They were also seen congratulating the Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Leo Ogor.
Akande-Adeola’s seat was most threatened when the APC had a slim majority control over the House until the latest development.
The APC came short of effecting a leadership change in the House three weeks ago but were restrained by the court injunction obtained by the PDP against change in the leadership of the House.
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