Yemisi Izuora
Twenty three members of the 24-member House of Assembly in Kwara, including the Speaker, have dismissed reports that financial inducement aided their recent defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The lawmakers were reportedly alleged to have each collected N15 million to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to PDP on August 1.
However, the 23 members, at plenary on Tuesday, denied being induced with money for their decision to quit the APC.
Each of the defected lawmakers, in their defence, described the allegation as unfounded and a calculated attempt to tarnish their names.
They said that no individual or group gave them N15 million as bribe prior to their Aug. 1 defection to the PDP.
They accused the only APC lawmaker in the house, Saheed Popoola, as being responsible for the alleged rumour on social media.
The lawmakers claimed that their defection to PDP was purely on personal conviction devoid of any financial inducement.
However, Popoola (APC – Olomu-Balogun) in his reaction, said he did not speak with any media on the alleged N15 million bribe.
Popoola refuted the claim by his colleagues of being the author of the alleged rumour, and challenged them to produce evidence or testimonies against him.
Concluding debate on the matter, the Speaker, Dr Ali Ahmad, urged his fellow Speakers in states Houses of Assembly to resist the temptation of declaring vacant, seats of defectors in their states.