Defection of lawmakers is bound to happen close to every election year - Legal practitioner
Jiti Ogunye, a legal practitioner, hours after some lawmakers elected under the platform of the APC dumped the party stated that the defection of lawmakers from a party to another is bound to occur close to every election year.
Jiti Ogunye, a legal practitioner, has stated that the defection of lawmakers from a party to another is bound to occur close to every election year.
Ogunye’s reaction is coming hours after some lawmakers elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the National Assembly dumped their party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
NAIJ.com gathered that Ogunye stated this on Tuesday night, July 24, during his appearance on Channels Television’s News At 10, said: “It has always been like this when elections are approaching. It is like what happened in 2015 before the general elections.”
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However, Ogunye believes a situation whereby the politicians decide to leave the party that brought them into power for another is not good for Nigeria’s democracy
He blamed the act on the perceived selfishness of some political figures rather than the desire to serve the people they represent.
“Politicians in Nigeria and this is very sad for us, are always interested in hunting for platforms and tickets and since the name of the game is power, and not ideology or adherence to party lines, oppositions are going to have something like this always,” he added.
The legal practitioner reacting to comments made by APC’s national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, that neither he nor the party would lose some sleep over the development, argued that the party was obviously worried some few days back but it was “only trying to pull a bold face to it.”
The lawyer feels that events in the coming days would determine whether the mass defection would affect the chances of the ruling party in next year’s general elections.
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NAIJ.com previously reported that there was a rowdy session at the National Assembly on Tuesday, July 24, as 15 senators dumped the ruling APC.
The senators, including Dino Melaye and Abdul-Azeez Nyako, announced their defection at the Senate plenary on Tuesday, July 24.
The list containing the senators' names was handed over to Bukola Saraki, the president of the Senate, who managed to get to the plenary after a reported blockade in the morning.
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Source: Naija.ng