The Labour Party has initiated legal proceedings to reclaim the parliamentary seats of four of its lawmakers who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The opposition party has argued that it is inappropriate for the defectors to retain their mandates after switching allegiance.
Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, confirmed the development in an interview, following the announcement of the defections during Thursday’s House of Representatives sitting. Speaker Tajudeen Abbas read the letters of defection from the four lawmakers: Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau).
Constitutional Challenge
Ifoh described the defections as “unfortunate, irrational, and inconsistent with the norms of democracy,” citing Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which outlines the conditions under which a lawmaker may change political parties without forfeiting their seat.
He criticized the Speaker’s apparent endorsement of the defections, stating, “According to the constitution, it’s only the Speaker of the House who can declare their seats vacant. But the manner in which the Speaker applauded the defected members, it is obvious he will certainly not do it.”
The Labour Party has vowed to escalate the matter in court to seek a declaration of the seats as vacant. “Our legal department has been tasked to file the matter,” Ifoh said, highlighting ongoing legal battles in related cases.
Register of Shame
As part of its response, the party announced plans to unveil a “Hall of Shame” register to publicly identify defectors, whom it accuses of betraying their mandate. The register, set to be published on Monday, will feature the names of elected officials who, according to the Labour Party, have undermined the party’s platform by defecting.
“By tomorrow, we are going to publish the register of the Hall of Shame,” Ifoh declared. “This will be done for people to know that it is wrong to take a party’s mandate to another party without adhering to Section 68, Subsection 1(g), especially when the party is not in crisis.”
The Labour Party’s actions come amid broader concerns about political defections and their impact on Nigeria’s democratic stability. By taking this bold step, the opposition aims to set a precedent for accountability and adherence to constitutional principles.
