Lawmakers On Notice! Anti-Defection Bill Clears Second Reading In House OF Reps

The bill seeks to amend Section 68(1g) of the 1999 Constitution by mandating National Assembly members to officially resign from their current party before switching allegiance to another.

This legislative move comes in response to the growing trend of lawmakers, particularly from opposition parties, defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), raising concerns about political stability and party discipline.

Under Clause 1 of the bill, a lawmaker will not be deemed to have lawfully defected unless they submit a formal resignation letter to their original party, which must be officially acknowledged by the party’s National Chairman or Secretary through a verifiable means such as physical delivery, email, or other legally recognized forms of transmission.

The bill aims to introduce transparency and accountability into the defection process, ensuring that lawmakers uphold the integrity of the political system.

Renowned constitutional lawyer Femi Falana has weighed in on the issue, describing the mass defection of lawmakers as unconstitutional. He insists that any lawmaker intending to switch parties must first resign from the party that sponsored their election, in line with legal provisions.

The proposed legislation aligns with past judicial rulings, including a 2022 Federal High Court judgment that sacked two members of the House of Representatives and 18 members of the Cross River State House of Assembly for defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC without proper resignation. The court ruled that such actions were unconstitutional and violated the principles governing party affiliation