It’s a honeymoon season for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Aside wining majority of the legislative by-elections on December 5, it has also been the beneficiary of high profile defections. Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi, Senator from Adamawa state, Elisha Abbo, and House of Representatives member from Benue state, Herman Hembe, are among the new members joining the party.
At the plenary on December 8, Hembe, who joined the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to contest the 2019 election, returned to the APC.
Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said Hembe’s defection was illegal and asked the Speaker to declare the seat of the Benue Lawmaker vacant.
Elumelu argued: “by the grace of God, I am the Minority Leader of this House. I am not aware that there is a crisis in APGA and so, what he has done is illegal and the Speaker should declare his seat vacant. We are going to contest this.”
The deputy speaker who presided over the plenary said the fact that Elumelu is not aware of any crisis in APGA is not enough to say there was no crisis in the party.
He said the crisis plaguing the Anambra state chapter of APGA was enough reason for anybody to defect.