Senator Ovie Omo-Agege Abandons Labour Party, Embraces APC

Senator representing Delta Central Senatorial District, Ovie Omo-Agege has formally defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Omo-Agege, the only senator elected on the platform of the Labour Party in the 8th National Assembly made the official announcement during plenary on Tuesday, March 7, 2017.

In a letter to the Saraki, Senator Omo-Agege cited issue of the unending internal crisis and leadership tussle currently bedeviling the Labour Party, as reason for his defection.

 The lawmaker cited Order 43 of the Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended) to support his defection.

He said that the division in LP had gotten to an irreconcilable level as Bobo Adou and Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam were laying claim to the national leadership of the party.

He added that his defection to APC was supported by his constituents.

“The President, my decision to leave the Labour Party for APC is supported by the leaders and constituents of my senatorial district.

“This is considering the troubling fact of the division within the national leadership of the party.

“Therefore, may I kindly inform all here of this formal decision in this plenary.

“While I assure you of my highest esteem, be further assured of my total commitment to the legislative agenda of this 8th Senate under your leadership and support for the APC government,’’ he said.

In his remarks, Saraki said “based on the rules of the Senate, there cannot be further debate on the matter since the senator brought his notification to the Chamber via Order 43’’.

With Omo-Agege’s defection, APC now has 66 senators in the upper chamber, 42 for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and none for Labour Party.

Anambra Central Senatorial District seat is vacant as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to conduct by-election to get a replacement for Sen. Uche Ekwunife.

The APC had 60 senators, while PDP had 49 senators at the inception of the 8th Senate.