PDP loses 7 senators to APC, LP, PPA

Not less than seven Peoples Democratic Party senators have dumped the party for others ahead of the general election.
Senators that defected from the PDP to other political parties as the Senate reconvened for 2015, are Atiku Bagudu, Barnabas Gemade, Bassey Otu, Helen Esuene, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, Mohammed Magoro and Ita Enag.
The decision of some of the senators to defect to opposition parties such as the Labour Party, Peoples Progressives Alliance and the All Progressive Congress was the aftermath of the PDP primaries, which was allegedly hijacked by some state governors in conjunction with the national leadership of the PDP.
Senator Bagudu joined the APC and was given the ticket to contest the governorship election on the party’s platform, while Senator Magoro joined the APC to pick the senatorial ticket for Kebbi South Senatorial District.
Also, Senator Esuene, who is among G22 aggrieved governorship aspirants in Akwa Ibom State, dumped the PDP over perceived injustice.
Senator Otu was also denied the party’s ticket for re-election for Cross River Southern Senatorial District.
He has settled for the Labour Party senatorial ticket in the state.
In addition, Senator Abatemi-Usman has also picked the PPA senatorial ticket for Kogi East Senatorial District in Kogi State, while a former National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Gemade, settled for the APC’s senatorial ticket in Benue State after series of battles with the Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan, who snatched the ticket from Gemade.