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From Ogunniyi Joseph Taiwo, Ilorin
Kwara State House of Assembly has declared vacant the seats of two lawmakers who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), triggering a fresh political confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition.
The affected lawmakers are Saaba Yisa Gideon, representing Edu State Constituency, and Olushola Odetundun of Irepodun State Constituency.
The Assembly took the decision during its proceedings following a request by the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, who asked the House to invoke Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.
Fagbemi, in a letter to the Speaker, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, argued that the lawmakers had forfeited their seats by abandoning the party on whose platform they were elected and joining the PDP.
But the PDP kicked against the decision, accusing the Assembly of political persecution and vowing to challenge the action through “every lawful and constitutional means.”
Leading debate on the matter, House Leader Oba Mogaji said the issue was constitutional and that the affected lawmakers could no longer retain their seats after defecting to another political party. “The matter before the House is constitutional and is clearly provided for under Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.”
Mogaji said Gideon and Odetundun were elected on the APC platform but subsequently defected to the PDP, where they had also secured tickets to contest forthcoming rerun elections in their respective constituencies.
Other lawmakers, including Abolarin Ganiyu Gabriel of Ekiti Constituency, Ganiyu Folabi of Omupo Constituency and Adato Oguniyi of Ojomu/Balogun Constituency, supported the motion to declare the seats vacant.
Danladi subsequently pronounced the Edu and Irepodun seats vacant.
Reacting, the Kwara State chapter of the PDP accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Speaker of using the legislature to punish the lawmakers for exercising their political choices.
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In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, the party described the development as “a dangerous descent into political intolerance” and warned against what it called the weaponisation of the legislature for partisan purposes.
“We therefore advise Governor AbdulRazaq and the Speaker, in the interest of democracy and the rule of law, to perish any thought or plan to use the machinery of the Kwara State House of Assembly to punish Hon. Odetundun and Hon. Saba for their political decision,” Adewara said.
The PDP maintained that the lawmakers had exercised their right to change political affiliation and argued that their defection should not be treated as misconduct in the discharge of their legislative responsibilities.
According to the party, the lawmakers received waivers from the PDP State Working Committee and secured its tickets to contest the forthcoming rerun elections.
“The two lawmakers remain representatives of their respective constituencies and should be allowed to perform their constitutional duties without intimidation, harassment or political persecution,” it said.
The PDP acknowledged the Assembly’s power to regulate its proceedings under Section 101 of the Constitution but insisted that such authority must be exercised within constitutional limits and in accordance with the principles of representative democracy.
It argued that removing the lawmakers could deprive residents of Edu and Irepodun constituencies of representation.
The opposition party also challenged Danladi, who it described as the APC governorship candidate, to demonstrate political tolerance.
“For the Speaker, who is now seeking to become Governor of Kwara State on the platform of the APC, this is an opportunity to demonstrate whether he truly understands the responsibilities that come with leadership in a democratic society,” Adewara said.
The PDP vowed to deploy “every lawful and constitutional means” to challenge actions it considers an attempt to undermine democracy or disenfranchise the affected constituencies.
