BY UMAR YUSUF

YOLA — There was a major political development in Adamawa State, yesterday, when all the 25 members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the House of Assembly defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on the floor of the House, making it a one-party house.

At the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Ahmadu Fintiri, the APC members, who were led by the Minority Leader, Warfariniyi Theman (member representing Hong) defected from their former party, when proceedings were temporarily suspended to deal with a matter of personal explanation under Order 41 of the House Rules.

The APC members explained that although they won elections under the ACN and CPC, respectively, the platform they claimed no longer existed by virtue of their fusion into the APC. They explained that they resolved to move to the PDP after due consultations with their constituencies.

Responding, the Speaker observed that the members acted in accordance with laid down procedures and particularly Section 109 (f) of the 1999 Constitution which empowers them to do so, describing their action as a welcome development.

“By this development, all the 25 members of this assembly are now PDP members,” Fintiri said, pointing out that their action confirmed the House’s support for the transformation of the country by President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Spokesman for the House, Adamu Kamale, who addressed reporters immediately after the sitting, declared that the PDP lawmakers had no plans to defect to APC.

Kamale said that the allegations that 17 lawmakers romanced with APC, were untrue, saying that the lawmakers had never left PDP, or joined APC with Governor Murtala Nyako.

Reacting to the development, the former state Secretary of the PDP, Mr. P.P. Elisha, who defected along with Governor Murtala Nyako, to APC, described the action of the lawmakers as constitutional.