A Senator elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Yele Omogunwa (Ondo South) has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), causing uproar in the Senator on Wednesday morning.
Announcing the defection at plenary, Senate President Bukola Saraki, who read the notification letter, said Omogunwa’s decision was in reflection of the recent developments in Ondo State.
With the lawmaker’s change of party, all the three Senators from Ondo are now members of the APC.
Meanwhile, there was a mild drama when Saraki was reading Omogunwa’s letter as some APC Senators were seen jubilating over the Ondo Senator’s defection while their PDP counterparts were also shouting “go, go, go” to Omogunwa, resulting into a momentary rowdy session.
The Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, also raised a Point of Order to protest Omogunwa’s defection to APC without a cogent reason, urging the Senate President to declare his seat vacant.
But Akpabio was ruled out of order by Saraki, who also cited another relevant section of the Senate Standing Orders.
Senator Dino Melaye raised another constitutional point of order, insisting that the PDP was not only fictionalized but that there was a wide “gulf” in the opposition party.
Consequently, PDP Senators staged a walkout to address the Senate Press Corps.