Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives on Thursday said it is very funny that the All Progressive Congress, APC-led government is priding itself for intimidating people to join the ruling party while Nigerians can not sleep with their two eyes closed due to insecurity.
This was just as the Majority Leader of the House, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa taunted that two lawmakers would be cross-carpeting from other minority parties into the folds of the APC.
Both Elumelu and Ado-Doguwa spoke on the floor of the House when the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila midway into the plenary session, announced the defection of a member representing Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency of Rivers State, Chisom Dike from the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC.
Dike in his letter read Gbajabiamila, said his decision to join the ruling party was informed by crises and division in PDP and the qualitative leadership APC was providing in the country as exemplified by Speaker of House.
An attempt by a PDP lawmaker from Nicholas Ossia to void the defection of his colleague from Rivers State, citing relevant constitutional provisions and House rules broaching on judicial or legislative evidence, was neutralised by the Speaker who ruled him out of order.
“If you are talking about judicial or legislative evidence the person in question is speaking for himself and for the judiciary whoever is not satisfied can approach the court for judicial interpretation”, Gbajabiamila ruled.
In a show of ecstasy over the development, Majority Leader, Ado-Doguwa declared that: “We want to put on notice that Thursday next week there will be two more defections… legislative notice”.
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Though Minority Leader, Elumelu who appeared not willing to comment on the defection as he usually does, after promoting from the Speaker exploded that: “it’s very funny, how the APC-led government is priding themselves that they intimidate people to join their party while Nigerians can’t sleep.
“There is insecurity in the nation. Today, Zamfara is locked out. Even Katsina is locked up. An Emir recently installed has been kidnapped. Too bad, that an Emir who came just this week for a visa and went home to just get documents that will enable him to go for his medical checkup has been kidnapped.
“This clearly shows that the APC-led government is leading the nation very badly. When the House leader is busy priding himself that people are coming to APC, until the APC-led government can provide security of lives and property, we can’t have a safe Nigeria as we speak”.
He was however ruled out of order after several interjections by the Speaker, relying on order 9 rule 5 guiding debate motions bills, and amendments.
