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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Elections & Politics

PDP kicks as Kwara Assembly suspends two members over defection

From The Punch · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • The Kwara State House of Assembly declared the seats of Saaba Gideon and Olusola Odetundun vacant after they defected from the APC to the PDP.
  • The Assembly acted after an appeal from Kwara APC Chairman Sunday Fagbemi, who cited constitutional restrictions on lawmakers changing parties.
  • The Kwara PDP rejected the decision as politically motivated and questioned the procedure used.

The Kwara State House of Assembly has declared two lawmakers’ seats vacant after they left the All Progressives Congress for the Peoples Democratic Party, triggering an immediate challenge from the PDP.

Saaba Gideon, who represents Edu, and Olusola Odetundun, who represents Irepodun, were elected on the APC platform. The Assembly took the decision during plenary on Tuesday after APC state Chairman Sunday Fagbemi asked it to invoke Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

Since the two members were elected under the APC and there is no division within the party, they have no constitutional right to abandon the party for another.

— Sunday FagbemiThe Kwara APC chairman argued that the lawmakers lost their constitutional basis for retaining their seats after defecting.

Fagbemi argued that the lawmakers could not retain their seats after abandoning the party. He said their defection did not qualify for the constitutional exceptions that allow elected legislators to change parties, adding that there was no division within the APC to justify the move. “Since the two members were elected under the APC and there is no division within the party, they have no constitutional right to abandon the party for another,” he said in a letter to Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu.

A member shall not belong to another political party than the one that sponsored him to the House, as long as his tenure has not expired.

— Oba MogajiThe Kwara Assembly leader cited the constitutional provision during debate on the lawmakers’ defection.

House Leader Oba Mogaji said the Assembly was required to enforce the relevant constitutional provision. He said the two lawmakers had not only joined the PDP but were also seeking reelection in 2027 on the opposition party’s platform. “They have left the APC for the PDP and are seeking reelection for their seats in the opposition party. This contravenes the Constitution,” Mogaji said.

Other lawmakers backed the motion, and the speaker subsequently declared the seats vacant. The Kwara PDP rejected the action, calling it an attempt to punish the lawmakers for exercising their political rights. State Publicity Secretary Olusegun Adewara also questioned the process, particularly the fact that the case began with a letter from the APC chairman.

They have left the APC for the PDP and are seeking reelection for their seats in the opposition party. This contravenes the Constitution.

— Oba MogajiHe argued that the lawmakers’ planned 2027 reelection bids on the PDP platform violated the Constitution.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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