The Labour Party (LP) has said it take legal actions against lawmakers elected on its platform that defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, announced that the lawmakers—Chinedu Okere, Mathew Donatus, Akiba Bassey, and Esosa Iyawe—had crossed over to the ruling party, citing an “internal crisis” within the LP
Reacting in a statement, Obiora Ifoh, LP’s spokesperson, said the party will take legal action against the lawmakers.
The party condemned their actions as “inconsistent with democratic norms” and in violation of Nigeria’s Constitution, particularly Section 68(g), which regulates defections by elected representatives.
The LP noted that that the lawmakers’ defections could only be legally justified in the event of a division within the party or a merger
The party 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,” the statement reads.
“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 the 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 act of defection without first dropping the mandate gotten under the ticket of the party.
“The defected lawmakers will feature prominently in the register.”
