Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, has vowed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will challenge Senator Andy Uba’s defection to All Progressives Congress (APC) in court.
Besides, relying on Order 42 of the Senate Standing Orders (2015, as amended), Akpabio urged Senate Preisdent, Bukola Saraki, to declare the position of Chairman of the Committee on Public Accounts vacant with Uba’s defection.
He said the upper legislative chamber should, at today’s plenary, announce a new chairman for the committee.
Akpabio said this at plenary, yesterday, shortly after Saraki read Uba’s letter, informing Senate of his movement to the ruling APC and reiterated that the position belongs to the PDP and that Uba must also lose his seat because there is no crisis in the party he left behind. “We have notice of our intention to go to court to reclaim that seat. It is to let you know that the party is not in dispute.’’
In parliamentary tradition, the Public Accounts committee is chaired by a member of the opposition party in the chamber.
Uba formally moved to APC at yesterday’s plenary and pledged commitment to his new party’s resolve and determination to reposition the economy.
“This decision was arrived at after due consultation and engagement with my family, constituency and legal team.
“As a senator, I also sought relief from the same Constitution. I rely on Section 681 (g), which has also been tested in the Supreme Court.
“By this communication, I declare that I am now a card-carrying member of the APC.”
With his defection, the APC now has 65 members while PDP has shrunk to 42 senators. Labour Party has one member.
Uba is the fourth PDP lawmaker to defect to APC since the 8th Senate was inaugurated on June 9, 2015.
Former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye was the first to defect. He was followed by Yele Omogunwa and last month, by Nelson Effiong from Akwa Ibom State.
Senator Uba, earlier in the month, at his country home in Uga, Aguata Local Government area of Anambra State, announced his plans to defect to APC. The lawmaker had said that he was joining the APC at the ongoing registration of the party members in the State.
According to him, APC has ideology and focus which he said he needed to tap into, to provide quality representation to his constituents.
Uba had further said that he joined APC because of other personalities in the party with sound ideas and whom he looked up to in politics. He listed some of the personalities to include the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige and APC National Auditor, Chief George Muoghalu. Uba had stressed that with such calibre of people, the party would take the state to enviable heights.
The Senator had said he would be very effective in meeting the yearnings of his people more, now that he was in APC and urged other Igbo politicians to join the bandwagon.
