The Labour Party of Nigeria has urged Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to officially declare the seats of all members who have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as vacant.
This appeal was articulated in a press release issued by Pastor Obiorah Ifoh, the party’s National Publicity Secretary.
According to the Labour Party’s spokesperson, the party has already initiated legal proceedings aimed at compelling the Speaker to recognize the seats of the defectors as unoccupied, citing constitutional provisions regarding party defection.
The statement read, “The Party has taken legal action to urge the leadership of the National Assembly to declare the seats of the lawmakers who defected from the Labour Party vacant. The lawsuit also demands the return of all salaries, benefits, or privileges received since the date of their defection.”
The release also expressed disappointment over Mr. Akangbe Illiya’s decision, referencing him as a betrayer of the constituents of Jos South/Jos East. The Labour Party, along with the citizens of Plateau State, had invested their hopes in Illiya for creating a fair and just society through legislation.
“Hon. Illiya has now found himself on the Labour Party’s ‘Hall of Shame’ Register, tarnishing his own reputation with this decision,” the statement continued.
While acknowledging the constitutional right to freedom of association, the party emphasized that this right is limited in terms of political party membership.
“The law does not safeguard individuals who betray the mandate granted to them by their constituents and their political party to switch allegiances without relinquishing the mandate they obtained through deception,” the statement asserted.
This defection, like others before it, has been labeled as regrettable and deserving of condemnation.
“Section 68(g) of the 1999 constitution clearly outlines the conditions under which a lawmaker can defect and the implications of such a move,” the party noted.
The statement further questioned the motivations behind the defectors’ choice to join the APC and criticized Speaker Abbas for not adhering to constitutional mandates by failing to declare their seats vacant.
“Ultimately, those politicians who have chosen to abandon their constituents during these critical times reveal their unworthiness of our trust moving forward,” the Labour Party concluded.
