Defection of 37 Lawmakers: Intrigues as APC, PDP battle for House of Reps leadership

IN a bid to grab the leadership of the House of Representatives, chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the defected PDP members are in a move to woo the Deputy Speaker, Hon Emeka Ihedioha, and other principal officers of the House.
Sunday Vanguard reliably gathered that the move became necessary after the defection of 37 members of the ruling party.
Ihedioha is seen as a die-hard PDP member and may not want to dump his well rumoured gubernatorial ambition.
But our source countered this saying “our party chieftains will soon meet with him and advise him to allow the present Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha to complete his two terms. “
The source added: “Then he can conveniently got the governorship position in 2020 and run under our platform, the APC.
”Once this has been achieved, we can change guards in the present leadership structure in the House. “
He explained further that “by so doing, the 7th Assembly will maintain the unity and cohesion it has enjoyed since inception. “
The APC needs just nine members to take charge in the House following last Wednesday’s defection of 37 PDP members to the opposition party. This resulted in the increase of the number of APC members from 138 to 172.
PDP that had a comfortable controlling majority with 208 members had the figure slashed to 171.
APC needs a simple majority of 181 members to displace PDP and take over the leadership of the House.
Labour Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Accord Party have some members in the chambers.
While Labour has eight members, APGA has five and Accord four .
The PDP too is not resting on its oars as their leader, the Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Leo Ogor, has been running from pillar to post.
According to Ogor,” the load is heavy but I’m equal to the task and PDP will bounce back stronger than before”.
He went on: “All the noise they are making is a mere storm in a tea cup; we are ready for any showdown.“

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