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Labour Party Sues To Declare Seats Of Defected Lawmakers Vacant

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2 hours ago

Dec 12, 2024.

The Labour Party (LP) has initiated legal proceedings to compel the National Assembly leadership to declare the seats of lawmakers who defected from the party vacant and to recover all salaries, emoluments, and privileges received by them since their defection.

This development was disclosed in a statement issued by the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, on Thursday in Abuja.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the statement followed the defection of Akangbe Illiya, the House of Representatives member representing Jos South/Jos East, to the All Progressives Congress (APC). His defection brings the total number of LP lawmakers who have joined the APC to five.

Expressing disappointment, the Labour Party described Illiya’s defection as a betrayal of the trust reposed in him by the party and the people of Plateau State, accusing him of abandoning the collective hopes and aspirations of his constituents.

“The leadership of the Labour Party again received with dismay news of the betrayal of the people of Jos South/Jos East by Mr. Akangbe Illiya. Hon. Illiya, who just engraved his name on the Labour Party ‘Hall of Shame’ Register, has brought dishonour to himself through this action,” the statement read.

The party argued that while the constitution guarantees freedom of association, it sets limits for lawmakers regarding party defection. Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution specifies the conditions under which a lawmaker may defect and mandates consequences for breaching these provisions.

The LP also criticized the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tajudeen Abass, for allegedly failing to enforce constitutional provisions by declaring the defected lawmakers’ seats vacant.

Labour Party Defected Lawmakers

“It is unnecessary probing why most defectors chose the APC as their destination or why the Speaker has refused to respect the constitution. However, these politicians have exposed themselves as unworthy of our collective trust,” the party added.

The Labour Party reiterated its commitment to upholding constitutional integrity, stating that it filed the court case to safeguard the party’s mandate and restore accountability among elected representatives.