Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Minority Leader Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South) on Wednesday engaged in a heated exchange over the continued defection of opposition lawmakers to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The disagreement followed the defection of Senator Kelvin Chukwu (Enugu East) from the Labour Party (LP) to the APC. In his defection letter, Chukwu cited the collapse of internal democracy and lack of cohesion in the Labour Party as reasons for his decision.
After reading the letter, Akpabio mocked the opposition, saying he was no longer concerned about their declining numbers. “If they like, let them all move here. Your decision to leave a tattered house is accepted,” he remarked, adding that most political parties were currently in disarray.
In response, Senator Moro cautioned the Senate President, stressing that he presides over the entire chamber and not just the ruling party. “Mr. President, with due respect, you are the Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. No matter the number that are here, we are capable of holding our own,” he stated.
Moro also expressed concern over the rising number of defections, saying the Senate was becoming “too full,” and wished Senator Chukwu well in his new party. “He came here on the Obedient movement, on a sympathy vote, but that’s a story for another day,” he added.
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