APC threatens aggrieved senators, ‘defect, lose your seats’

The planned defection by 15 All Progressives Congress (APC) senators to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have hit a brick wall.

The would be defectors have been warned by the APC that they risk losing their seats if they carry out their threat.

The senators themselves fear that the PDP may not be able to fulfill its promise of rewards for them if they defect now as there is no guarantee that the opposition party will be victorious in the 2023 elections.

And from the pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, to the political class yesterday came a declaration that parties denying the South East their presidential tickets for the 2023 elections would end in a pyrrhic victory.

Multiple sources revealed that the APC senators who are aggrieved over their inability to get the party’s return ticket to the Red Chamber are having second thoughts about dumping the party.

They are blaming the APC state governors for the situation.

It was gathered that the Senate leadership met with the senators and urged them to put the interest of the party over and above all grievances and considerations.

Sources at the parley added that the principal officers told the senators of the implications of their defection and vowed not to allow such a development ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The meeting was a follow-up to the aggrieved senators’ earlier meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

Although the PDP is keen on the aggrieved senators switching camps to enable it become the majority party in the Senate, it has told most of them that it cannot replace its candidates whose names have already been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Whereas the law allows substitution of candidates, it is only applicable to PDP members and not defectors.

What the party could immediately offer the aggrieved senators are ministerial and board appointments and other forms of rehabilitation provided if it wins next year’s presidential election.

It was learnt that the raging cold war between the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and some governors, led by the Rivers State helmsman, Nyesom Wike, seems to have made defection less attractive.

Based on the uncertainties surrounding the defection terms, some of the APC senators are now said to be  weighing the options of either staying in the party or be lukewarm to the 2023 polls.