APC Lawmakers Shift Stand On Budget Blockage

The All Progressives Congress’ lawmakers in the Nigerian House of Representatives appear to be shifting position from a ‘Block Budget Directive’ given to them by the party leadership, with the lawmakers saying that they can be persuaded to pass the budget.

Addressing reporters after a plenary on Thursday, the APC lawmakers said they were considering shifting grounds for the interest of Nigerians.

The directive had generated criticisms from some opposition parties and some members of the House of Representatives.

The All Progressive Grand Alliance lawmakers had condemned the directive, saying it would slow down the pace of development.

The APC lawmakers also disagreed with some media reports that the Peoples Democratic Party had regained the majority position in the House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, a group of APC lawmakers in the house from Kano State have said that they would not defect from the party even though a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau, had defected to the Peoples Democratic Party.

Mr Shekarau defected on Thursday with over 10,000 others to the PDP, saying that they were ready to join forces with President Goodluck Jonathan ahead of elections 2015 elections.

He announced his defection at the end of a stakeholders meeting at his residence in Kano.

The former Kano State Governor said that the injustice shown to him and his supporters and neglect by APC at the national level were some of the reasons they had to defect to the PDP.