Four Labour Party (LP) and one People Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the House of Representatives yesterday defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The proselytes are Messrs Tochukwu Okere (Imo State), Donatus Mathew, popularly called the Okada Man (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo) all LP parliamentarians and a PDP member, Ms Eriathatake Ibori-Suenu, who is the daughter of former governor of Delta State and stalwart of the party, Mr James Ibori.
Ibori’s daughter represents Ethiope federal constituency of Delta State.
In their defection letters read by the speaker of the house of representatives, Tajuden Abbas during the plenary, the lawmakers said they took the action because of the crises in the LP and the PDP.
In his latter, Okere stated that the legal tussle in the LP made it difficult to ascertain who the party’s true leaders are, thus making it impossible to know the clear direction it was heading.
Matthew, for his part, said he had reflected on the crisis in the party and concluded that he would not get a clear political direction if he remained in the LP.
He further said though he had worked tirelessly to support the party, he had realised that his political ideals were better represented in the APC.
For Bassey, the factionalisation of the LP and the achievements of the governor of Cross River State, Mr Bassey Out, informed his decision to board the APC train.
He referenced Section 68(1g) of the Constitution which allows him to change the party that sponsored him for reasons of internal wrangling.
He said there were two factions of the party at the national level, which had also been replicated at the state and local government chapters.
Bassey said the development had made it difficult for him to attend LP’s meetings and that it had been impossible for him to take concrete decisions.
Iyawe based his decision on his inability to identify who should control the national leadership of the LP and the various cases in court as a result of the party’s leadership crisis.
Responding, the LP lawmakers urged the opposition lawmakers urged the speaker to declare the seats of the defectors vacant.
“We are discussing with some members of the APC and that discussion has reached an advanced stage.
“They will soon come to the House to announce their defection to the PDP. I hope the Speaker will not invoke this constitutional provision then.”
Citing constitutional order, House Minority Whip Ali Isa asked the Speaker to declare the seats of the five lawmakers vacant,” said the house minority whip, Mr Ali Isa, citing constitutional order.
Similarly, the deputy minority whip, Mr George Ozodinoni said there was no crisis in the LP.
He contended that those insisting that there is a crisis in LP are only out to malign the integrity of the party.
“Mr. Speaker, no matter the defection here today, the truth is that Labour Party is still above and ahead of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) in this House. My party is not in a crisis, and remains one. Those who said there is a faction in the Labour Party are only maligning the party.
“I am not surprised at what has happened here today (yesterday) because we expected this to happen. This is because people join political parties without an ideology. So, they have decided to join a party that has brought hunger to the land.
“We are waiting for them. By 2027, we are waiting to give them their rightful ticket. When Jesus was carrying the cross and the women were crying for him, he told them not to weep for him. Those who have defected will continue to weep.”
Meanwhile, the LP threatened to take a legal action against its former members who joined the ruling APC.
The spokesman for the party, Mr Obiora Ifoh, said though the party was not worried about the defection, it had “elected not to allow it slide and has, therefore, instructed its legal team to commence the legal actions against the defectors and to also commence the process of regaining our mandates, in line with the 1999 Constitution and 2022 Electoral Act, as amended.”
“The party will also approach the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by these former Labour Party members, in line with the House Rules. It is inappropriate and unacceptable for these lawmakers to continue to function as representatives of their constituencies – illegally.
“The party has also decided to open a ‘Hall of Shame’ register for these lawmakers or any lawmaker or elected officer of the party who engages in fraudulent act of defection without first dropping the mandate obtained under the ticket of the party.
“The following lawmakers include (1). Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East) (2). Bassey Akiba (Calabar Municipality/Odukpani Federal Constituency) (3). Tochukwu Okere (Owerri Federal Constituency), (4). Donatus Mathew (Kaura Federal Constituency.) (5). Iyawe Esosa (Oredo Federal Constituency) and Daulyop (Plateau). These lawmakers will feature prominently in the register.
“On that note, we will call on Nigerians to beware of these genres of politicians lacking in clear democratic ideology and ethos rather than ‘Jumpology’ ideology; jumping from one party to the other, in disregard to the enabling laws and without any ideological leaning.
“If we really want this democracy to thrive, we must isolate these political merchants and opportunists and help bury their mercantilist political enterprise by snubbing, affronting and rejecting them in future polls having exhibited a grave level of character deficit by betraying public trust.”
