From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi.
After many months of speculation, the Deputy Speaker of the Benue House House of Assembly, James Okefe yesterday finally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okefe who won his election on the platform of the People Democratic Party (PDP) said at the floor of the House that he had already tendered his resignation letter to dump the PDP and also made known his intention to join the APC.
The letter which was read on the floor of the assembly by the Speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange revealed that Okefe was leaving the PDP because of the crisis rocking it at the center.
“Following the crisis rocking the People Democratic Party (PDP) with its attendant division which has trickled down to Benue State where we have two executive committee members, I have decided to dump the crisis ridden party and pitch tent with the ruling APC.”
Welcoming the new entrant to the APC, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Benjamin Adayin assured him of fulfilling stay in the ruling party.
But in a swift reaction, Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Sule Audu described the decampee as ‘a liability’ to PDP, saying, ‘he had been a liability to us in PDP.
“Since he (Okefe) rode on the back of our party to the House, he had never attended our party caucus meeting. We thank God for relieving us of his burden and wish APC good luck.”
In another development, Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Mr. Terkimbi Ikyange has vowed that the Open Grazing Prohibition Bill pending before the Assembly would be passed before the end of the year.
Ikyange who disclosed that the bill which is executive in nature had passed through its second reading and awaiting public hearing before its final passage.
He explained that the little delay in passing the bill was to allow for public hearing which would afford critical stakeholders the opportunity of making inputs due to its sensitive nature.