The Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, says the members of the National Assembly who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) will return to the party before the general elections in 2019.
Senator Lawan disclosed this to reporters on Wednesday night after President Muhammadu Buhari met with the senators on the platform of the APC at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The lawmaker revealed that during the meeting which lasted for about 30 minutes, the President was briefed about the number of APC senators which he said was 53.
He added that the PDP has the largest minority with 48 members of the Senate while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has two senators.
Senator Lawan noted that less than 24 hours after 14 of their colleagues defected from the APC, they have shown willingness to retrace their steps.
He revealed that while the defection was as a result of disagreements in the party, the defected lawmakers expect some members from the opposition party to join the ruling party.
The lawmaker representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani, also attended the meeting, although he said it does not mean all his grievances have been addressed.
But Senator Sani was confident that the leadership of the party chaired by former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole would be able to resolve all contending issues within the party.
Mr Oshiomhole, who also attended the meeting, told State House correspondents that those defected from the APC were misinformed.
Thirteen senators announced their defection from the APC to PDP on Tuesday while one other lawmaker was undecided on which party to join.
The senators who joined the opposition party included embattled lawmaker Dino Melaye, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Suleiman Hunkuyi, who was suspended by the Kaduna APC.
Some of the other senators were Abdulazeez Nyako (Adamawa), Barnabas Gemade (Benue), and Ibrahim Dambaba, Shaaba Lafiaji (Kwara), Rafiu Ibrahim (Kwara), and Monsurat Sunmonu (Oyo), among others.
