The Labour Party has announced plans to take legal action in a bid to reclaim the seats of four lawmakers who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party has strongly criticized these lawmakers for retaining their parliamentary positions after switching allegiance to the ruling party, arguing that their actions are not only a betrayal of the party’s mandate but also violate democratic principles.
Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, made the announcement in an interview with The PUNCH. His comments came after the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, read out the resignation letters of the defecting lawmakers during a session on Thursday.
The lawmakers in question—Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau)—have faced accusations of betraying the party that initially sponsored their elections. Ifoh condemned their actions as “unfortunate, irrational, and inconsistent with democratic principles,” emphasizing that such defections go against the spirit of democracy and the trust placed in them by their constituents.
Citing Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, Ifoh reiterated that lawmakers who defect from the party that sponsored their election are required to vacate their seats, unless the party is experiencing an internal crisis. The Labour Party has outlined a three-step strategy to address the defections: firstly, condemning the act; secondly, petitioning the Speaker of the House to declare the seats vacant; and thirdly, pursuing legal action if the Speaker fails to act.
“We have asked the Speaker to declare their seats vacant, but given his public support for the defectors, we are not optimistic about his compliance,” Ifoh said. “As a result, we will take the matter to court. Our legal team has already been instructed to initiate legal proceedings.”
In addition to the legal action, the Labour Party is also set to launch a “Hall of Shame” register to publicly list the names of the defecting lawmakers and other public office holders who have switched parties, which Ifoh described as “rebels and troublemakers.” This register will serve as a form of public accountability, marking those who, according to the party, have dishonored their mandate.
The register, which will be made public on Monday, 9th December 2024, is designed to highlight the Labour Party’s stance on defection and remind the public that lawmakers are expected to relinquish their mandate when switching parties, as stipulated in the constitution.
“Tomorrow, Monday, we will publish the register of the Hall of Shame. It will be made available to the public and distributed widely in the media,” Ifoh confirmed. “This is to ensure that people understand it is wrong to take a party’s mandate to another party without following the constitutional guidelines, especially when the party is not in crisis.”
The Labour Party’s stance underscores its commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process and holding lawmakers accountable for actions that, in its view, undermine the principles of representative democracy.
