Labour Party To Take Action Against Defected Lawmakers, Promises To Expose Disruptive Figures

Labour Party To Take Action Against Defected Lawmakers, Promises To Expose Disruptive FiguresThe Labour Party has announced plans to take legal action to reclaim the seats of four lawmakers who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party criticized the lawmakers for continuing to hold their positions after switching allegiance to the ruling party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In an interview with The PUNCH, Labour Party National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh condemned the defections and described the lawmakers’ actions as “unfortunate, irrational, and inconsistent with democratic principles.” The defecting lawmakers—Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau)—submitted their resignation letters, which were read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Thursday.

Ifoh pointed to Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that lawmakers must vacate their seats upon defection unless the party they belong to is in crisis. He said the defectors had betrayed the mandate given to them by the Labour Party.

In response to the defections, Ifoh outlined the party’s course of action: condemning the defections, petitioning the Speaker to declare the seats vacant, and taking the matter to court. “We have requested the Speaker to declare their seats vacant, but given his open support for the defectors, we are not optimistic he will comply,” Ifoh stated. “As a result, we will take the issue to the courts, and our legal department has been instructed to proceed with filing a case.”

Additionally, the Labour Party has decided to create a “Hall of Shame” register to publicly list the names of defected public office holders, rebels, and those deemed as troublemakers within the party. This register, Ifoh confirmed, will be unveiled on Monday. He emphasized the importance of upholding democratic principles, stating, “It is wrong to take a party’s mandate to another party without following the provisions of Section 68, Subsection 1(g), especially when the party is not in crisis. When you leave, you are supposed to vacate the mandate. We will publish the register on Monday for the public to see.”

The Labour Party’s move highlights its determination to hold the defectors accountable and maintain the integrity of its mandate.

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