The lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District,
Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed concerns that the growing number of lawmakers
defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, poses a threat to Nigeria’s
democracy.
Oshiomhole stated this on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on
Channels Television in response to questions regarding the recent defection of
three senators to the APC, bringing the party’s total strength in the Senate to
68, edging closer to a two-thirds majority.
“Whether this is a danger to democracy? No, I don’t think
so,” he stated on Tuesday.
The former All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman
said the APC majority will not eliminate debates or dissent in the National
Assembly, noting that lawmakers often vote based on issues, not party lines.
“If you’ve been following debates in the Senate, sometimes
you can’t even distinguish who is PDP or APC in terms of the positions people
take,” he said.
According to him, having an aligned legislature is not
unusual in democratic societies, citing the United States as an example.
The ex-president of the Nigeria Labour Congress maintained
that his loyalty lies with the national interest over party allegiance.
“If you watch my contributions on the floor of the Senate,
the first party is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I’ve argued, and I make no
apologies, that the total of all political parties in Nigeria, whether in or
out of government, is not equivalent to Nigeria. If I see a conflict between
party interest and national interest, I have no difficulty in resolving it in
favour of Nigeria,” he added.
Oshiomhole, while reflecting on the defections, said he was
personally pleased, especially because those who crossed over were foundational
members of the APC.
He also dismissed suggestions that people who defect to the
APC do so out of coercion.
Recall that earlier on Tuesday, Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi
Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South)
formally defected from the PDP to the APC during a Senate plenary session.
Their move followed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and
other party leaders.
The defections increased the APC’s numerical strength in the
10th Senate to 68.
The Senate’s composition now stands as follows: APC – 68,
PDP – 30, Labour Party – 5, NNPP – 1, SDP – 2, and APGA – 1.
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