The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has declared that he wont lose sleep over the 51 national assembly members who left the party on Tuesday, July 24, 2018.
14 Senators, who were members of the APC in the upper legislative chamber, dumped the party, with 12 of them defecting to the oppositionPeople's Democratic Party (PDP), before 37 members of the House of Representatives also dumped the party.
While 32 of them defected to the PDP, four lawmakers moved to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the political party adopted by the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) launched by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo; but the last one, Emmanuel, remained unclear on his destination.
Senator Muritala Nyako (Adamawa Central) and Senator Monsurat Sumonu (Oyo Central), also defected to the ADC.
After meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the lawmakers that decamped are masquerades with little or no electoral value to the party. He further said the defections will not affect President Buhari's chances in the 2019 elections.
He said, "The thing going on is that we have a lot of so-called big masquerades with very little or no electoral value. I insist that I will not miss a sleep one minute over machinery activities. I have said and I want to repeat, this business of governance must be driven by men and women of honour.
"If the only motivation is personal interest, what is the need for me, what have I gained, if that is the basis, the earlier for those in this business for personal gain return to where they belong, the better.
"The party that I am privileged to chair is not worried at all, we are not disturbed, I am not going to miss my sleep.
"Go to the campaign, check the electoral results you will find that a lot of those who claimed to have decamped on a good day, the votes they got that made them members of the senate, our president got much more votes in their constituencies. So, we are not fooled at all."
Oshiomhole's statement mirrors the official position of the party according to a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, who said the party is unfazed by the departure of those he said were unwilling to yield to its attempts to solve differences.
Despite the defection leading to the party's loss of the Senate majority on Tuesday, Abdullahi said the party will consolidate on its majority in the federal House of Representatives and state assemblies.
He further urged members to remain calm and be assured that the party will perform strongly in the 2019 general elections despite the defections.
He said, "APC remains in firm control of 25 states of the 36 states of the federation and maintains a clear majority in the federal House of Representatives and state assemblies.
"We assure members and supporters that our great party will continue to consolidate on our majority status in the leadup to the 2019 General Elections, even as our government continues to work hard to deliver on our promises to Nigerians."
List of Senators who dumped APC
Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano Central ) are two of the most notable lawmakers that dumped the APC for the PDP on Tuesday.
Others are Lanre Tejuoso (Ogun Central), Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), Barnabas Gemade (Benue North East), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara South), and Shitu Ubali (Jigawa North-East)
The others are Danbaba Ibrahim (Sokoto South), Usman Nafada (Gombe North), Nasif Nafada (Bauchi North), Isah Misau (Bauchi Central) and Suleman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North).
Senator Muritala Nyako (Adamawa Central) and Monsurat Sumonu (Oyo Central) defected from the APC to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Even though his name was read by Senate President, Bukola Saraki as one of the PDP defectors, SenatorSoji Akanbi (Oyo South) has announced that it was a mistake and declared his commitment to the APC.
"I remain a bona fide, committed, unrepentant member of APC," he said.
House of Reps members who dumped APC
The 32 lawmakers that dumped the APC for the PDP are Garba Umar (Kano), Olayonu Tope (Kwara), Ahmed Garba (Kano), Kabiru Marafa (Sokoto), Zakari Mohammed (Kwara), Abubakar Amuda-Kanike (Kwara), Ali Madaki (Kano), Hassan Saleh (Benue), Ahman Pategi (Kwara), Mark Gbillah (Benue), Shehu Usman (Kano), Aminu Shagari (Sokoto), Nuhu Danburam (Kano), and Atunwa Abdulrazak (Kwara).
Others are Salisu Zakari (Bauchi), Hassan Omale (Kogi), Rufai Chanchangi (Kaduna), Abdulsamad Dasuki (Sokoto), Sani Zoro (Jigawa), Benjamin Okolo (Kogi), Funke Adedoyi (Kwara), Bode Ayorinde (Ondo), Bashiru Salihu (Sokoto), and Barry Mpigi (Rivers).
The remaining defectors are Nasiru Sule (Kano), Segun Ogunwuyi (Oyo), Lawal Rabiu (Kaduna), Sani Rano (Kano), Dickson Tarkighir (Benue) Musa Adotsamiya (Kano) and Emmanuel Udende (Benue).
APC lawmakers that defected to ADC are Sunday Adepoju (Oyo), Olugbemi Samson (Oyo), Taiwo Michael (Oyo) and Olasupo Abiodun (Oyo).