Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

First the governors, then the representatives, then the senators, and then...

The APC in Nigeria looks to have momentum, but the changes continue.

Nigerian PDP senators in mass defection to APC

At least 11 senators from Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan's party have quit to join the opposition, the latest in a series of defections.

The senators signed a letter that cited "factionalisation" in the governing People's Democratic Party (PDP), without specifying further.

The PDP still has a Senate majority but needs opposition help to pass bills.

Analysts say many in the PDP are upset because they believe Mr Jonathan intends to stand for a second term…

[S]ome 37 members of the house of representatives defected last year, wiping out the party's majority in the lower house.

Several state governors have also defected to the APC, and the BBC's Sola Odunfa in Lagos says that many more may be waiting to do so.

Jonathan

The senators and the representatives joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), which now has 33 senators in the 109-member chamber.

The APC has called on its members to block all legislation, including the 2014 budget…

The defections are the latest in a long list of problems confronting Mr Jonathan, whose leadership has recently come in for high-profile criticism from within the PDP…

PDP Reclaims House of Reps Majority

The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday reclaimed its majority position in the House of Representatives following another defection of a member from Nassarawa state from the All Progressive Congress (APC)...

With this latest defection, the PDP now has 174 members against the 172 of the APC which restored it back as the majority party in the House.

Tuesday's defection of another member from Nassarawa state Rep Joseph Haruna Kigbo from APC to PDP tied the two parties on a short-lived equal numbers of 173...

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar defects to APC

Abubakar

Former Nigeria’s Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has formally announced his defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP...

Atiku urged his “political associates and friends to register andjoin the APC once the registration exercise commences, so that together we can change this country for the better.”...