APC Loses Three Senators To PDP, NNPP

Three more lawmakers from the All Progressives Congress (APC) have ahead of the 2023 general elections, renounced their membership of the ruling party to join opposition parties.

The development has thereby reduced the number of APC senators in the current National Assembly from 70 to 67, Naija News understands.

The defecting lawmakers are revealed as Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina North), Lawal Yahaya Gumau (Bauchi South), and Francis Alimikhena (Edo North).

Their defection was confirmed in separate letters read during plenary at the Red chamber on Tuesday by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

Babba Kaita and Alimikhena are said to have defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Gumau on the other hand, defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Babba Kaita noted in his resignation letter that he dumped the ruling party due to marginalization.

He said: “As Senator representing Katsina North Senatorial District, I write to formally notify you of my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC), and registration declaration for the Peoples Democratic Party.

“My resignation from the APC was born out of the marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the State Government and Leadership of the Party in Katsina State, where small people like me do not have a chance.

“I have since been joyful and graciously accepted into the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party in Katsina State.”

On his part, Senator Alimikhena, explained that his decision to resign from the APC was as a result of “continuing and multifaceted crisis that has bedeviled the APC”, especially in his Senatorial District, “that has created parallel executives that has undermined internal discipline, cohesion and focus.”