In another blow to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a member of the House of Representatives has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking the second such departure in just two days.
Salisu Garba Koko, who represents Koko/Besse/Mayama federal constituency of Kebbi State, formally announced his defection in a letter read at plenary by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
Citing internal discord within the PDP, Koko stated that the “protracted crisis” in the party had made it untenable for him to remain.
However, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda challenged this claim, arguing that PDP was not facing any exceptional turmoil.
“People might look for excuses to defect to other parties, but it is wrong to allege that there is a protracted crisis in the PDP,” Chinda asserted. He further urged the Speaker to uphold constitutional provisions by declaring the seats of defectors vacant, requiring them to seek fresh mandates from their constituents.
Ben Etanebene (LP, Delta) echoed Chinda’s stance, questioning whether defectors would return to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to amend their certificates of return, which already list their party affiliation.
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He emphasized that the constitutional directive on such matters is unequivocal: “The operating word in the Constitution is ‘shall,’ which makes it mandatory for the seats to be declared vacant.”
In response, Speaker Abbas Tajudeen maintained that only the courts have the authority to declare a lawmaker’s seat vacant.
“The House will act on the content of the letter sent to it by members,” he stated, reaffirming that any legal challenge to defections would be settled through judicial processes.