PDP No Longer Holds Majority In House Of Reps

A split in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coupled with the emergence of an opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) turned the ruling party into a minority in the lower legislative chamber.

This information was revealed by the the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, during a pre-resumption news conference in Abuja on Friday.

He said that out of the 360 members of the House, PDP has 208, while APC controls 137 members. However, 57 out of the 208 PDP members defected to the 'new PDP' faction led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje.

Mohammed noted this development had made the 'old PDP' a minority in the House, and added that this shift could influence decisions on any national issue that the House might take when the members resume from the annual recess on Tuesday.

The Chairman added, "There are 137 APC members who may choose to team up with the 57 PDP rebels and become the majority in the House. So, who is the minority now?", he wondered.

He also urged DPD to resolve the internal crisis to escape the "danger of the PDP losing its ground."

It will be recalled, that a new PDP faction consisting of seven of the party's 23 governors, announced that it takes over the party on Saturday, August 31. Since then the ruling party has been torn by internal struggles.