Reports reaching the desk of Africa Today News, New York had it that the Senator representing Nasarawa North, Godiya Akwashiki, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) becoming the latest member of the red chambers to do so.
Akwashiki made his resignation from the party known during the inauguration of the construction of Nasarawa Eggon/ Galle road, in Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area of the state, on Monday.
He cited the alleged doctoring of delegates list as the reason for leaving the ruling party.
‘You are all aware of what transpired during the APC primary election in Akwanga. I withdrew from the race because delegates’ lists were doctored by the party. I have been under pressure by you to leave the party and today, I have answered your call to leave APC and to actualise my re-election ambition.
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He continued, ‘In the next 72 hours, you will see a platform that I will join and we will all move together.’
His defection comes days after a former Minister of Aviation and chieftain of the APC, Femi Fani-Kayode, said 22 more APC senators to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He stated that the planned defection was because the senators were denied the party’s ticket to contest the 2023 elections.
’22 APC Senators are threatening to decamp to PDP because they have been denied the tickets to return to the Senate. This is serious & something must be done to prevent it. Many are concerned & we urge our able Nat. Chairman & Nat. Sec. to reach them. We cannot afford to lose them,’ he had said.
Africa Today News, New York had last week had reported that no fewer than seven senators dumped APC for other opposition parties.
Members of the Senate who defected from the APC are Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi) Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Dauda Jika (Bauchi), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo).
Briefing reporters after a closed-door meeting with APC senators, the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, said it was unfortunate that the lawmakers left the party.
He, however, said the defections were expected due to the electioneering season when the country usually witnesses all manner of things.