From Ndubuisi Orji and Jude Idu, Abuja
Five members of the House of Representatives, including Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of the former governor of Delta State, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Ethiope federal constituency.
The other defectors, Tochukwu Okere (Imo) Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River) and Iyawe Esosa (Edo), were elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).
The lawmakers announced their defection in separate letters read by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, at plenary, yesterday.
Abass, who announced the defections gleefully after reading Ibori-Suenu’s defection notice implored other members of the PDP to toe her path.
The five defecting members, in their different letters, said their actions were motivated by “division” in their respective political parties’ platforms on which they were elected.
But the Minority Whip, Ali Isa, while citing Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution asked the Speaker to declare the seats of the five members vacant.
Isa wondered why anyone would be defecting to the APC “with the situation in the country.”
Similarly, the Deputy Minority Whip, George Ozodinobi, said it was not true that the LP was in crisis. He vowed that the party would be waiting for the lawmakers at the 2027 polls.
“I want to say that my party is not in any crisis. My party remains one. When people enter political parties without ideology, we see such defections. I stand to tell them that this rotten carrot that is dangled before them to defect to this party that has brought hunger to this country; we are waiting as the party of the people.”
Meanwhile, LP has condemned their defections as “inconsistent with democratic norms” and in violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, particularly Section 68(g), which regulates defections by elected representatives.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, the party vowed to take legal action against the defectors.
It noted that the lawmakers’ defections could only be legally justified in the event of a division within the party or a merger. It also called on Abbas to declare their seats vacant, arguing that their continued tenure was illegal.
“The defection, to us, is quite unfortunate and we condemn the action which is irrational, untenable, inconsistent and alien to all known norms for which democracy stands for.
“Section 68(g) of the 1999 constitution is emphatic on when to defect and what happens when a lawmaker sponsored by a political party decides to jump ship.
“The Constitution states (g) being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;
“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored;
“Though the Labour Party leadership is undaunted by the defection, it has however, elected not to allow it slide and has therefore instructed its legal team to commence the legal actions against the defectors.
“And to also commence the process of regaining our mandates in line with the 1999 constitution and 2022 Electoral Act as amended.
“The party will also approach the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by these former Labour Party members in line with the House Rules.
“It is inappropriate and unacceptable for these lawmakers to continue to function as representatives of their constituencies illegally.
“The party has also decided to open a ‘Hall of Shame’ register for these lawmakers or any lawmaker or elected officer of the party who engages in fraudulent acts of defection without first dropping the mandate obtained under the ticket of the party.
Source: Daily Sun
