From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has ordered the sacked lawmaker representing Brass Constituency 1, Dr Daniel Charles of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to, with “immediate effect,” return all salaries, allowances and other emoluments he had received to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. The Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision in the suit CA/PH/79/2022, by Justices Joseph Shagbaor Ikyegh, Gabriel Omoniyi Kolawole and Olabode Adegbehingbe, ruled that there was merit in the appeal filed by the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The lead judgement read by Justice Adegbehingbe held that Charles, having defected from the APC on whose platform he was elected, ought to have vacated his seat in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, from 14/o4/2021, by virtue of section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Appellate Court also ordered the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly and the House of Assembly, “under constitutional and legal duties by virtue of 109(1)(g) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to declare the seat of the first respondent, as a member representing the Brass Constituency 1, Bayelsa State House of Assembly vacant, with effect from 14/04/2021.”
Meanwhile, another former commissioner in Bayelsa and an aspirant in the just concluded House of Representatives primaries for Sagbama/ Ekeremor Federal constituency, Bekeakpo Etifa, has also dumped the PDP.
Etifa, who did not state his next political destination, said as “founding member of the PDP, who has made enormous contribution to the success of the party, and in the service of our people and nation-building, it is sad to watch undemocratic elements take over the administration of the party, contrary to the noble tenets put in place by its founding members.”
While decrying the lack of internal democracy in the party and politics of exclusion, he regretted that there had been no credible reconciliatory efforts by the party after the party primaries.