192 NASS members set to defect from the ruling APC

As the 2023 elections draw closer, there has been series of defections across political parties in Nigeria, this had always been the norm before and after general elections in Nigeria.

This time around it is the defections of about 192 members of the national Assembly from the ruling All Progressives Congress to opposition parties.

This was disclosed by the Planning and Strategy Committee of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organisation, that has notified the hierarchy of the ruling APC to the possibility of about 192 National Assembly (NASS) members defecting.

This is sequel to the outcome of the party primaries in May and June where some top members failed in their bid to secure their return ticket.

The committee was chaired by a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.

Members included a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; serving senators Opeyemi Bamidele, Ishaku Abbo, Grace Bent and Basiru Ajibola; member of the House of Reps, Musa Sarkin-Adar, Komsol Longgap and Olawale Raji; former senators Adesoji Akanbi, Abu Ibrahim and Magnus Abe.

Some others were the Director-General, Tinubu Support Group, Umar Mohammed; Deputy Governor of Nasarawa State, Silas Agara; former deputy governor of Lagos State (under Tinubu), Femi Pedro; Safaa Adam; Amina Indala; Kashim Imam; Akin Awodeyi-Akinseyiwa; Saadatu Garba; Abubakar Sanusi and M.T Usman.

“There is a need to reach out to the principal officers of the National Assembly and the party leadership at the national, state, zonal and local government levels to mitigate and assuage the aggrieved persons.

“It is worrisome that 22 serving senators and 170 National Assembly members are set to defect from the APC,” the report, sighted by this newspaper, reads in part.