Ministerial nominee defects from party

Barely 24 hours after he was announced as a ministerial nominee by Nigeria president President Muhammadu Buhari, Emeka Nwajiuba has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Accord Party (AP).

Nwajiuba, who is a serving member of House of Representatives for Ehime Mbano/Ihite Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, was elected to the House in the 2019 National Assembly elections on the platform of AP.

His defection letter was read on the floor of the House during Wednesday’s plenary by the deputy speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase.

Nwajiuba was among some of the 43-man ministerial nominees screened by the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday.

In the tradition of the Nigerian Senate in screening ministerial nominees, Nwajuiba as a current lawmaker only introduced himself, his objectives in government and was asked to a bow to leave by Senate president Ahmed Lawan.

Nwajiuba was the beneficiary of a court verdict that ousted his predecessor, Chike Okafor of the APC.

The court held that Okafor was not validly nominated by the APC.

Until his defection to Accord Party, Nwajiuba, who represents Ehime Mbano/Ihite Uboma/Obowo Federal Constituency of Imo State, ‎was first elected a member of the House in 1999 till 2003.

The ministerial nominee was a member of APC before he defected to AP because of a spat with the former governor of Imo, Rochas Okorocha. Nwajiuba was the secretary of the Constitution Drafting Committee that was worked on the document that guided the formation of the APC.