BREAKING: Taraba Assembly Speaker, 15 Lawmakers Dump PDP for APC (FULL LIST)

Taraba Assembly Speaker and 15 Lawmakers have dumped PDP for APC.

NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kizito Bonzena, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing deepening factional crises within the PDP at the national level.

Bonzena confirmed that 15 other PDP lawmakers have also submitted their letters of defection to the APC. The defecting members include:

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Deputy Speaker Hamman Adama Abdullai (Bali 2); Majority Leader Jethro Yakubu (Wukari 1); Tafarki Eneme (Kurmi); Akila Nuhu (Lau); Musa Chul (Gassol 1); Josiah Yaro (Wukari 2); Tanko Yusuf (Takum 1); Veronica Alhassan (Bali 1); Anas Shuaibu (Karim Lamido 2); Nelson Len (Nguroje); Umar Adamu (Jalingo 1); Joseph Kassong (Yorro); John Lamba (Takum 2); Happy Shonruba (Ardo-Kola); and Zakari Sanusi (Ibi).

Announcing the mass defection, the Speaker said the move was driven by the collective interest of Taraba State, not personal ambition.

“Our people should not misinterpret this decision. It is for the interest of the state. We now have all 24 members of the House as APC members. We urge the people of Taraba to see this as the best decision for the state and continue to support the government,” he said.

Former Speaker and member representing Mbamnga Constituency, Peter Diah, welcomed the lawmakers to the APC, noting that their alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s vision would usher in a new political era for the state.

With the defection, the Taraba State House of Assembly now has no minority members.