NIGERIA: Labour Party Moves To Reclaim Defected Lawmakers’ Seats

By Onoja Baba, Abuja

The Labour Party has initiated legal proceedings to reclaim the seats of four House of Representatives members who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, revealed this during an interview with the media in Abuja on Sunday, condemning the actions of the lawmakers as a betrayal of their mandate.

The defected members, Tochukwu Okere from Imo State, Donatus Mathew from Kaduna State, Bassey Akiba from Cross River State, and Iyawe Esosa from Edo State, officially announced their defection in letters read on the floor of the House by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

Ifoh criticized the defections, describing them as irrational and inconsistent with democratic norms, and pointed to Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the conditions for defection and the consequences for lawmakers who abandon their party without justification.

Ifoh expressed disappointment in Speaker Abbas, accusing him of applauding the defectors instead of adhering to constitutional provisions by declaring their seats vacant.

He noted that this partisan response left the Labour Party with no choice but to pursue legal action to ensure compliance with the law.

The party also announced the creation of a “Hall of Shame” register, which will document the names of defectors and other public officeholders who it believes have betrayed the party’s trust.

Ifoh assured that this register would be published widely, starting on Monday, to expose those who violated their mandate by switching allegiance to other parties.

He emphasised that elected officials who abandon their party without meeting constitutional requirements must relinquish their positions.

The Labour Party reiterated its commitment to holding defectors accountable and ensuring the integrity of its mandate, with Ifoh stating that the legal department has been instructed to take all necessary steps to reclaim the seats of the defected lawmakers.