Benue’s only PDP Rep, Ojema Ojotu officially joins APC

A member of the House of Representatives representing the Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency in Benue State, Ojema Ojotu, has officially left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection was made public during Tuesday’s plenary session, where the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who presided over proceedings, read Ojotu’s letter of defection to members on the floor of the Green Chamber.

Before Ojotu’s move, the APC already held 10 out of the 11 federal constituency seats from Benue State in the House of Representatives. 

With his defection, the ruling party now controls all the state’s federal seats in the lower chamber.

In the letter read by Kalu, Ojotu explained that his decision to leave the PDP stemmed from persistent internal conflicts within the party.

He stated, “After consultation with his constituents, family members and political associates, I have decided to dump the PDP for the APC.”

However, the defection did not go unchallenged. The Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), raised a constitutional issue, urging the Deputy Speaker to declare Ojotu’s seat vacant.

He said, “Honourable Speaker, I rely on Constitutional Point of Order 68 (1) (g), which says that a member’s seat should be declared vacant if he leaves the party that sponsored his election, and if there is no division in that party that brought him to power.”

Responding, the House Majority Leader, Ibrahim Halims, invoked Order 7, arguing that “When there is an unresolved crisis in a party and that party cannot resolve its crisis, the person concerned can leave to protect his future.”

In his closing remarks, Deputy Speaker Kalu formally welcomed Ojotu into the APC fold and assured him of the party’s continuous support.