PDP Loses Final Benue Seat as Rep Ojotu Defects to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday lost its last remaining seat in Benue State’s representation at the House of Representatives after Ojema Ojotu, the lawmaker representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency, officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ojotu’s defection was announced during plenary by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session.

Before the move, the ruling APC already held 10 out of the 11 federal seats from Benue State. With Ojotu’s crossover, the party now controls all Benue constituencies in the Green Chamber.

In his formal letter addressed to the Speaker and read on the floor of the House, Ojotu attributed his decision to the “perennial crisis” within the PDP, which he said had made it difficult to pursue effective representation.

“After consultations with my constituents, family members, and political associates, I have decided to dump the PDP for the APC,” Ojotu stated in his letter.

Ojotu, who chairs the House Committee on Inland Waterways, assured his colleagues that his decision was in the best interest of his people and aligned with their collective political direction.

The announcement, however, sparked immediate protest from opposition lawmakers.

Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), raised a constitutional point of order, urging the presiding officer to declare Ojotu’s seat vacant.

Madaki said the defection violated the 1999 Constitution, which mandates that a lawmaker who leaves the political party that sponsored his election must lose his seat unless there is a division within that party.

“Honourable Speaker, I rely on Constitutional Point of Order 68 (1) (g), which says that a member’s seat should be declared vacant if he leaves the party that sponsored his election, and if there is no division in that party that brought him to power,” he argued.

In response, the House Majority Leader, Ibrahim Halims, countered Madaki’s point of order, arguing that Ojotu’s defection was justified by the unresolved crisis within the PDP, which he said had created uncertainty for its members.

“When there is an unresolved crisis in a party and that party cannot resolve its crisis, the person concerned can leave to protect his future,” Halims contended, citing Order 7 of the House Rules.

The chamber erupted briefly in murmurs before the presiding officer ruled in favour of maintaining order.

In his remarks, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu formally welcomed Ojotu into the APC fold, assuring him of the ruling party’s full support.

“We welcome our colleague to the All Progressives Congress. Be assured that you will enjoy the cooperation and solidarity of your new party colleagues as we continue to serve the nation,” Kalu said.

Ojotu’s defection marks a complete sweep of Benue’s 11 federal seats by the APC, underscoring the party’s growing dominance in the state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The lawmaker’s exit further deepens the crisis within the PDP, which has faced a series of defections in recent months amid leadership disputes at both the national and state levels.