26 Nigeria's ruling PDP state lawmakers defect to opposition APC

LAGOS 

Twenty-six lawmakers in Nigeria's northwestern Kano State on Monday left the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) to join the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC), a fallout of the crises rocking the former.

In a meeting of the state's 31-member House of Assembly, the legislators declared their allegiance to the opposition party, taking turns to criticize the PDP as a party centered on "the ambition of certain individuals."

Deputy speaker Isyaku Ali Danja is among the defectors.

Five PDP lawmakers, including House Speaker Gambo Salau, who did not attend the meeting, did not defect.

Defections from the crisis-ridden PDP began last December when the five governors of Rivers, Kwara, Sokoto, Kano and Adamawa moved en masse to the opposition APC.

They were followed later by 37 lawmakers in the country's House of Representatives who defected en mass through a single letter.

Dozens of state lawmakers from Sokoto and Kwara have also joined the opposition party.

The Senate is refusing to acknowledge last week's defections of eleven senators.

The Senate president is insisting that each senator must write a separate defection letter explaining his decision and not as a group like their House of Representatives colleagues.

By Rafiu Ajakaye

englishnews@aa.com.tr