The lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District, Adams Oshiomhole, has dismissed concerns that the growing number of lawmakers defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, poses a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Oshiomhole stated this on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television in response to questions regarding the recent defection of three senators to the APC, bringing the party’s total strength in the Senate to 68, edging closer to a two-thirds majority.
“Whether this is a danger to democracy? No, I don’t think so,” he stated on Tuesday.
The former All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman said the APC majority will not eliminate debates or dissent in the National Assembly, noting that lawmakers often vote based on issues, not party lines.
“If you’ve been following debates in the Senate, sometimes you can’t even distinguish who is PDP or APC in terms of the positions people take,” he said.
According to him, having an aligned legislature is not unusual in democratic societies, citing the United States as an example.
The ex-president of the Nigeria Labour Congress maintained that his loyalty lies with the national interest over party allegiance.
“If you watch my contributions on the floor of the Senate, the first party is the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I’ve argued, and I make no apologies, that the total of all political parties in Nigeria, whether in or out of government, is not equivalent to Nigeria. If I see a conflict between party interest and national interest, I have no difficulty in resolving it in favour of Nigeria,” he added.
Oshiomhole, while reflecting on the defections, said he was personally pleased, especially because those who crossed over were foundational members of the APC.
He also dismissed suggestions that people who defect to the APC do so out of coercion.
Recall that earlier on Tuesday, Senators Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) formally defected from the PDP to the APC during a Senate plenary session.
Their move followed a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and other party leaders.
The defections increased the APC’s numerical strength in the 10th Senate to 68.
Media Talk Africa reports that the Senate’s composition now stands as follows: APC – 68, PDP – 30, Labour Party – 5, NNPP – 1, SDP – 2, and APGA – 1.
