Two APC Lawmakers in Nasarawa Defect to SDP Over Primary Election Disputes
Two Nasarawa State lawmakers have left the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing mistreatment during the party's recent primary elections.
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Two lawmakers from Nasarawa State have formally defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), citing grievances over their treatment during the party’s recent primary elections. The move was confirmed during a session of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly on Tuesday, when the Speaker announced the resignation of both lawmakers from the APC via separate letters submitted during House proceedings, according to Vanguard News.
The lawmakers, whose names were not disclosed in the available reports, attributed their decision to join the SDP to perceived injustices during the APC primary process. Peoples Gazette reported that the legislators cited "ill-treatment meted out to them during the just-concluded APC primaries in the state" as the primary reason for their defection. The internal disputes within the APC have raised questions about party unity ahead of upcoming general elections.
Their shift to the SDP marks a notable development in Nasarawa’s political landscape, where party defections have increasingly influenced legislative dynamics. While the SDP has not issued an official statement, the defection underscores ongoing tensions within the APC at the state level. The development also highlights broader concerns about internal democracy within Nigeria’s major political parties, particularly in how primary elections are conducted and contested.