Senate majority leader defects to PDP, resigns position

The Senator representing Kebbi North, Yahaya Abdullahi, has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party.

As a result of his defection, Abdullahi also resigned from his position as the Senate Majority Leader.

This was contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and read on the floor during plenary on Tuesday.

The text of the letter read in part, “I write to inform you of the withdrawal of my membership of the All Progressives Congress and consequently resign from my position as
the Majority Leader of the 9th Senate.

“I came to this decision after a very hard struggle with my conscience and emotions. It is either to remain on the side of my people, or to selfishly look the other way. All politics is local. I cannot therefore, in good conscience, continue to work for the success of this administration at the centre while the people of my state, my primary constituency, continue wallowing in abject poverty and destitution under the misrule and manipulation of a despot.

“I have therefore decided to pitch my tent with the Peoples Democratic Party in order to join forces with my compatriots at home who are struggling against incompetence, imposition and violation of democratic norms, principles and practices.”

Another senator, Adamu Aliero representing Kebbi Central also tendered his resignation letter on Tuesday.

The defection of the APC Senators brings the total number of PDP Senators to 39 from the previous 38, with the exclusion of Abaribe who is set to formally defect from the opposition party to APGA on Wednesday.

Punch