Kwara Assembly Sacks Two APC Defectors

..*As PDP kicks, urges immediate reversal of action *

The Kwara State House of Assembly has declared the seats of Hon. Saaba Issa Gedeon, representing Edu Constituency, and Hon. Olusola Odetundun, representing Irepodun Constituency, vacant following their defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The decision to suspend the duo was taken during plenary following a request by the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, in a letter addressed to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Salihu Yakubu Danladi.

Fagbemi urged the Assembly to declare the two seats vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that both lawmakers were elected on the platform of the APC and that there was no division within the party to justify their defection.

Leading the debate on the matter, the Leader of the House, Hon. Oba Mogaji, said the issue was constitutional and should be treated in accordance with the provisions of the law.

He said: “The matter is constitutional, as clearly provided for under Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution.”

Mogaji argued that having defected to the PDP and seeking to retain their respective seats under the opposition party, the lawmakers had acted contrary to the constitutional provision governing defections by elected legislators.

He therefore supported the APC’s request for the seats to be declared vacant.

Contributing to the debate, Hon. Abolarin Ganiyu Gabriel of Ekiti Constituency, Hon. Ganiyu Folabi of Omupo Constituency and Hon. Adato Oguniyi of Ojomu/Balogun Constituency also backed the vacation of the seats.

Following the lawmakers’ contributions, Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi declared the Edu and Irepodun Constituency seats vacant in accordance with the resolution of the House.

The development is expected to trigger further political activities in the two constituencies ahead of the next electoral cycle.

In its reaction, the Kwara State chapter of the PDP has rejected the purported declaration of the seats of Hon. Olushola Odetundun, representing Irepodun State Constituency, and Hon. Saba Yisa Gideon, representing Edu State Constituency, as vacant by the Kwara State House of Assembly, describing the action as a politically motivated attempt to punish two elected representatives for exercising their constitutional and political rights.

The party, in a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, said it was particularly disturbing that the process was initiated on the strength of a letter from the APC State Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, who is not a Constituent from the affected Constituencies, effectively turning the State House of Assembly into an extension of the APC’s internal disciplinary machinery.

“We challenge the House to make public the evidence presented before it and demonstrate that the requirements of Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution were duly complied with before such a consequential decision was taken.

“While the PDP is aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution, which deals with defection by members of a State House of Assembly, the party insists that constitutional provisions must be applied strictly and not selectively or politically.

“The Constitution itself recognises circumstances relating to division within a political party, while Section 109(2) requires evidence satisfactory to the House before the Speaker gives effect to the provision.

“The Kwara Assembly cannot therefore reduce a constitutional question to a mere political declaration based on a letter from the chairman of the party from which the lawmakers have departed.

“It is also curious that the same APC which appears to have lost the confidence of Hon. Odetundun and Hon. Saba is now deploying the machinery of the State Assembly to punish them for choosing the PDP, rather than allowing the people of Irepodun and Edu to determine their political representatives through the electoral process.

“If the APC is confident of its popularity, it should face the electorate instead of attempting to remove its former members through parliamentary manoeuvring.

“Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Speaker Yakubu Danladi must understand that the State House of Assembly is an institution of the people of Kwara State and not a political enforcement arm of the APC.

“The Speaker, in particular, as the APC’s governorship candidate, must demonstrate that he can separate his partisan interest from the constitutional responsibilities of his office.

“He cannot aspire to govern the entire state while presiding over a legislature that appears determined to silence representatives simply because they have chosen to belong to another political party.

“We therefore call on the leadership of the Kwara State House of Assembly to immediately reverse this politically charged decision and allow the courts, where necessary, to determine the constitutional implications of the defection rather than rushing to a predetermined conclusion.

“The PDP will not accept any attempt to use the legislature to intimidate or politically persecute its members and will deploy every lawful and constitutional means available, including judicial action, to protect the rights of Hon. Odetundun, Hon. Saba and the constituents they represent,” the statement added.