On Thursday, the Labour Party (LP) announced it filed a lawsuit seeking the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to declare vacant the seats of its members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move followed the constant defection of its members in the Upper and Lower Chamber of the National Assembly into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
New Telegraph had earlier reported that five lawmakers in the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the LP had last week defected to the APC and on Tuesday, December 10 2024, Ajang Iliya, a lawmaker from Plateau, defected to the ruling party.
The defectors, however, cited, “Internal crisis” in the LP as the reason for their defection.
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Reacting to the gale of defection in the party, Obiora Ifoh, LP spokesperson, said the lawmakers were birds of a feather who had long perfected plans to run away with the people’s mandate.
Ifoh added that the suit also demands the return of all salaries, emoluments, and privileges received by the lawmakers since their defection.
Ifoh also asked the court to do what the speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abass has refused to do by respecting the provisions of the constitution and declaring their seats vacant.
“The law does not protect an individual who steals the mandate of a people and a political party to run into another without first surrendering the mandate he deceitfully acquired.
“This defection, like similar ones before it, is quite unfortunate and condemnable. Section 68(g) of the 1999 constitution is emphatic on when to defect and what happens when a lawmaker sponsored by a political party decides to jump ship.” the statement added
