Yakubu Busari
Details has emerged why the Plateau state house of Assembly (PLHA) Deputy Speaker, Hon Yusuf Babayo Gagdi narrowly joined the All Progressives Congress, APC even after allegedly collected about N30 million from the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
According to information available to this medium, it was gathered that the Deputy Speaker joined the All progressive congress (APC) because his colleagues in the House who are in the APC were already planning to impeach him, and on hearing this he quickly jumped ship to evade impeachment saga.
This medium learnt that the Deputy speaker was tipped by a group of concerned supporters that some of his colleagues who are in the APC were planning to remove him.
Gagdi said; “I am no longer convenient leaving under a dilapidated house with reptiles inside, People Democratic Party (PDP) is a place of death”.
“I am convinced that the new house built for me, I will have respect as I enter with my people in Kanam local government, it is a modern structure that is willing to accommodate me and my people because I have seen the benefit of being with the new party,” he explained.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) suffered a hard blow as it lost two of its highly rated members in the state house of assembly to the ruling party ,All Progressive Congress(APC).
The two members from People’s Democratic Party(PDP) members that defected to the ruling APC are the Deputy Speaker Yusuf Babayo Gagdi representing Katana constituency and Daniel Naanlong majority chief wipe in the state house of assembly .
Their letters of defection was read on the floor of the house by the speaker of the house Hon.Peter Azi at the plenary on Tuesday before the members.
Yusuf Gagdi blamed his defection on the unresolved Makarfi and Modu Sheriff Crisis bedeviling the party from the national level which he said has factionalized the party.
This the deputy speaker said the crisis has given him political opening to change his political base as it has be affecting his legislative activities as a lawmaker in the house .
He told journalists in his office at the Assembly complex over his defection, Deputy speaker Yusuf Gagdi said with his defection to APC,he now feel at home
“I am very much comfortable seen me with my respectable speaker Peter AZi ,my director of campaign Hon.Mohammed Abubakar Balo and other Hon.members speaks volume ,I am very,very much comfortable.”
He denied any threat on him and his political career directly or indirectly that necessitated his decamping to APC .The decision which he said he took with the full knowledge of his constituency who are purely APC and voted for him based on his vision and mission as their representatives in the state assembly, are now happy for his homecoming.
He said his defection did not have anything to do with the recent decamp of senator Dariye who also defect to the ruling party. “I contested election without the knowledge of senator Dariye I am not like him ,anybody who know Gagdi ,know that I was a general on my own right so I contested election without the influence of anybody.
The political landscape has finally change in Plateau state House of Assembly as the APC now control the affairs of the assembly complex with 15 members while the PDP is weak with 8 managing and mass decamped ahead.
Our correspondent gathered more of the PDP members has written to the leadership of APC indicating interest to abandon their platform which brought them to the house to perform their legislative business of representation.
On Tuesday sitting preceded by the Speaker Hon peter Azi who read motions of the day and was moved by majority leader, member representing Shendam ,Hon Henry Yenkwap who ordered for the suspension of order 4 to allow the house commence its sitting .
The motion was seconded by Naanlong Daniel member representing Mikang which the speaker adopted the proceedings as a documents to be use by hallow chamber .
Three members were reported absence during the Tuesday sitting Hon Gideon Dashe Pankshin south ,hon Geoffrey Lamde Langtang central and Hon Kasam representing Kanke respectively.
The leadership of the house received two decampees who defected from PDP to APC on the floor of the hallow chamber who have earlier written the house members officially .
The Speaker Rt Hon. Peter Azi appreciated the members,Hon Yusuf Babayo Gagdi member representing Kantana constituency and Hon Naanlong Daniel member representing Mikang for joining the majority members in its change mantra to move the state forward .
It was gathered that the Deputy speaker was said to have escape the wrap of impeachment saga by the control APC members who body language was on the pipeline .
Hon Gagdi was relief from the trend of embarrassment described his political victory as a cat of 9 lives after several attempt to frustrate his ambition suffer setback ,he won with landslides victory during the 2015 general polls .
Hon Gagdi said,the internal wrangling ,leadership crisis within the rank and files of the PDP is so deep and political marginalization leading to factionalism yet unresolved series conflict .
According to him, the litigation which prompted by determination so hereby employed section 68 ,subsection 1 of the 1999 constitution which empower me to defect to another party after wider consultation with the people of my constituents and teaming supporters .
“The people of Kanam Local government over the years have been yearning for pragmatic leadership ,I must confused that ,as number five political leaders in plateau state I stand to denounce my PDP membership card to APC,”he revealed.
The member representing Mikang ,Hon Naanlong Daniel the minority whip said my defection to APC was due to the persistent crisis within my former party the PDP which is still pending and unresolved .
So under the 1999 federal republic of Nigeria constitution section 68 subsection 1 which truly comply to write on my defection as a decision I took to move to APC .
The APC led government on the Plateau has transforms ,construction one the major road in Kantana constituency for me this purposeful representation gave me right denounced on hallow chamber .
The two defected members called on federal, state ,local governments and wards to remain resolute so that the dividends to promote the tenets of democracy.
