The member representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency of Benue State in the House of Representatives, Ojema Ojotu, has formally defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The announcement was made during Tuesday’s plenary session, presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who read Ojotu’s defection letter on the floor of the House.
Prior to Ojotu’s switch, the APC already held 10 out of the 11 House of Representatives seats from Benue State. His defection now gives the APC complete control of all federal constituencies in the state within the Green Chamber.
In his letter, Ojotu attributed his decision to ongoing internal issues within his former party.
“After consultation with his constituents, family members and political associates, I have decided to dump the PDP for the APC,” the lawmaker stated.
However, his move was met with resistance from the opposition benches. The Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Aliyu Madaki of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), raised a constitutional point of order, urging the presiding officer to declare Ojotu’s seat vacant.
“Honourable Speaker, I rely on Constitutional Point of Order 68 (1) (g), which says that a member’s seat should be declared vacant if he leaves the party that sponsored his election, and if there is no division in that party that brought him to power,” Madaki argued.
His motion was swiftly countered by the House Majority Leader, Hon. Ibrahim Halims, who cited Order 7. He argued that a defection is valid if the lawmaker’s former party is facing unresolved internal crises.
“When there is an unresolved crisis in a party and that party cannot resolve its crisis, the person concerned can leave to protect his future,” Halims said.
In his response, Deputy Speaker Kalu welcomed Ojotu to the APC and assured him of the party’s full support.
Ojotu currently serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Inland Waterways.
