The Labour Party (LP) has vowed to take legal action and declare the seats of four lawmakers who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as vacant. The defection of the lawmakers from four states—Kaduna, Imo, Edo, and Cross River—has sparked a strong response from the party.
The defectors are Chinedu Okere (Owerri Municipal/Owerri North/Owerri West constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura Federal Constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar Municipal/Odukpani Constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo).
In a statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiorah Ifoh, the LP condemned the defections, calling the actions “irrational, untenable, inconsistent, and alien to all known democratic norms.” The party pointed out that Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates when a lawmaker can defect and the consequences of such actions.
The statement further read, “The Constitution states that a lawmaker who defects before the expiration of their term, without a valid reason, forfeits their seat.” It emphasized that the defectors’ actions violated the Constitution and, as a result, the LP would pursue legal action to regain the mandates of these lawmakers.
The Labour Party also called for the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare the seats vacant in accordance with House rules, as the defectors can no longer legally represent their constituencies under their original party affiliation.
Additionally, the party announced the creation of a ‘Hall of Shame’ to register lawmakers or elected officials who defect in violation of democratic principles or engage in fraudulent acts.
The LP’s bold move aims to reaffirm its commitment to upholding the integrity of the democratic process and ensuring accountability for those who abandon their political party mandates.
