The Kaduna State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare vacant the seats of three State House of Assembly members and one House of Representatives member who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP insists that these defections are a betrayal of the electorate’s trust and a violation of constitutional provisions.
PDP Condemns Defection of Lawmakers to APC
The PDP, through its State Publicity Secretary, Maria Dogo, described the lawmakers’ decision to join APC as unconstitutional and unacceptable. The party argues that elected officials who switch political parties must vacate their positions, citing Sections 68(1)(g) and 109 of the Nigerian Constitution. These sections mandate that any legislator who defects without a clear division in their original party must relinquish their seat. The PDP has urged the Speakers of both the House of Representatives and the Kaduna State House of Assembly to act swiftly by declaring the seats vacant and notifying INEC to conduct fresh elections.
Legal Implications and PDP’s Next Move
While acknowledging the right to freedom of association, the PDP maintains that these defections violate democratic principles. “We assure the people of Kaduna State, particularly those from the affected constituencies, that the PDP leadership will invoke the provisions of the constitution to recover our mandates, as there is no division or split in our party leadership at the national level,” the party stated.
Despite the defections, the PDP asserts that it remains the preferred choice of the majority in Kaduna State. The party is determined to challenge the legitimacy of the lawmakers’ continued stay in office and is prepared to take legal steps to reclaim its mandates. Whether INEC will act on the PDP’s demands is yet to be known, but the political sector in Kaduna is set for heightened legal and political battles.
