LP to vacate seats of defecting lawmakers
The Labour Party (LP) has announced plans to declare vacant the seats of members from the House of Representatives who have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
This decision comes after the party confirmed the departure of five lawmakers elected under its banner to the APC on Thursday, December 5.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Obiora Ifoh, the LP expressed disappointment over the lawmakers’ actions, labeling it as “unfortunate.”
The party has initiated a “hall of shame” to publicly record the names of these members, highlighting the perceived betrayal to both the party and the supporters who elected them.
READ ALSO: Ibori’s daughter, 4 LP lawmakers defect to APC
Ifoh revealed that the LP would soon address the Speaker of the House of Representatives to formally request the declaration of the affected lawmakers’ seats as vacant, in accordance with the Constitution.
The defecting members include Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
Citing Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, the LP emphasised that lawmakers elected on its platform do not possess the constitutional right to defect without consequence, reiterating that their electoral victories were due to the party’s platform and the support of voters.
Since its establishment in 2002, the LP has actively participated in Nigeria’s political landscape, achieving significant success in the 2023 general elections under the leadership of Julius Abure, including a governorship seat, eight Senate seats, and 35 House of Representatives seats.
The party also noted its substantial performance during the presidential election, which it claims to have won in the eyes of many Nigerians, and mentioned the ongoing peace within the LP.
The statement concluded with a reminder that the defecting lawmakers rose to prominence not because of their individual merits but rather due to the party’s backing and the collective will of the electorate to challenge the established political elite.
In addition to the five LP defectors, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta), daughter of former Delta State Governor James Ibori, also left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC, citing internal divisions as a primary factor for their exits.
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