Declare seats of defected lawmakers vacant – PDP tells INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kaduna State Chapter has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the seats of three members of the State House of Assembly and a member of the House of Representatives who dumped the party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) vacant, describing the defections, mainly by serving legislators elected under its platform, as a brazen betrayal of the trust placed in them by the people.

According to a statement issued by the party’s Publicity Secretary in the state, Maria Dogo, the defection of the lawmakers to APC was unacceptable and unconstitutional, asking them to vacate their seats with immediate effect.

The PDP urged the Speakers of the House of Representatives and the Kaduna State House of Assembly to declare the seats of the four lawmakers vacant and notify INEC to conduct bye-elections, citing Sections 68(1)(g) and 109 of the Constitution, which stated that serving legislators who defect to another party must vacate their seats.

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“While we acknowledge the constitutional rights of every Nigerian to freedom of association, we view these defections as unacceptable.

“Consequently, 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.

The party said it remained unshaken by the defections and the preferred choice of the vast majority of the people of Kaduna State.

Source: Channels TV