PDP factions: APC mounts pressure on opposition lawmakers to defect en masse

      

Following the three factions that emerged in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, last Saturday, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has reportedly directed its leaders in some states to do everything possible to bring the PDP federal lawmakers into its fold, Nigerian Tribune reports.The ruling party was said to be taking advantage of the electoral law which permits defection without losing one’s seat in the parliament once there is a division within the person’s political party. The states, whose lawmakers are most targeted include: Anambra, Lagos, Edo Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Yobe, Adamawa, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo and Osun.
The Tribune Online gathered in Abuja on Monday that the chieftains of the ruling party are already in serious talks with lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly on the need for most of them to dump the former ruling party with assurances of several offers, including automatic ticket to return in 2019 general elections.

A member of the PDP in the National Assembly, while confirming the development, said; “the pressures are just too much; the leaders of the APC are mounting serious pressures on us to come over to them, following the latest development in our party, the pressures are coming with various promises and am afraid some of our members may bow to the pressures since they will have nothing to lose.”
The source noted that, “we cannot continue to waste our time and resources; we are tired of the [sic] ending crises, there are factions here and there in all the states and the zone and all fighting for selfish interests, we thought the coming of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff would unite the party but alas, look at what is happening now, PDP is supposed to be providing a credible opposition to the ruling APC.”