Dogara formally defects to PDP, adjourns House of Reps sitting

The House of Representatives on Tuesday adjourned its plenary session until Feb. 19.

Yakubu Dogara

The adjournment was sequel to a motion moved by the Deputy House
Leader, Rep. Idriss Wase (APC-Plateau), at the plenary session presided
over by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, in Abuja.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the lawmakers on Jan. 16
resumed for the 2019 legislative duty after the Christmas and New Year
break.

Moving the motion, Wase, who represents Wase Federal Constituency of
Plateau, said that the adjournment became imperative because of
preparations toward the forthcoming general elections.

He said that the postponement of plenary sittings would allow members
vying for one position or the other to focus on electioneering and
other political activities of their political parties.

The Speaker, therefore, put the motion to vote and it was unanimously supported by the members.

NAN reports that the legislators after passing the Minimum Wage Bill
did not deliberate on the 2019 Appropriation Bill, which is still before
the House, before moving for the adjournment.

Earlier at the plenary, Speaker Dogara, Reps Ahmed Yerima and Edward
Pwajok formally announced their defection from the All Progressives
Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While Pwajok represents Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency of
Plateau in the House, Yerima represents Missau/Dambam Federal
Constituency of Bauchi State.

The legislators announced their resignations from APC in separate
letters to the House of Representatives, which were read on the floor of
the House by the speaker.

Dogara, who represents Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency
of Bauchi State, said that they resigned their membership of the APC
due to irreconcilable differences.

The legislators said that they defected to the PDP after due consultations with their constituents.

NAN reports that a gale of defections has continued to affect the
lower chamber in the aftermath of the party primaries, in which several
members failed to secure their parties’ tickets for the 2019 elections.