The defection saw 37 members elected on APC platform dump the party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), while one of the defectors, Oker Jev is yet to announce the Party he now belongs to.
Addressing newsmen immediately after the defection, the leader of the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila said that the defected members are in desperate search for tickets for the 2019 General Election.
As party membership now stands in the House of Representatives, APC has 185; PDP, 161; APGA, 5; ADC, 4; Accord, 1; SDP, 1; and a vacant seat created by the death of Buba Jibril, the late deputy House of Representatives Leader form Kogi State.
Gbajabiamila who spoke on behalf of the other APC caucus members, pointed out that the defectors are still members of the APC family despite leaving the party stressing that they would eventually return when they realize their mistakes.
He added that the defections are part of democracy and praised the remaining APC members for their commitment and steadfastness to the party.
Gbajabiamila said the position of the Law on the issue is clear going by Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution. He added that the section in question indicates that it is the political party, not the individual that is voted into office.
He stressed that the seats of the Legislators belong not to the Legislators but to their constituents who elected them.
Gbajabiamila further blamed the defection on lack of ideology in the Nigerian political parties; a trend he said does not obtain in advanced democracies where parties are deeply ideological.
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