Defected PDP Lawmakers May Vacate Seats, Says Ogor"

Defected PDP Lawmakers May Vacate Seats, Says Ogor" Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Leo Ogor, has disclosed that the lawmakers elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) may vacate their seats, saying that PDP is still in the majority. The House deputy Majority Leader, who stated this in an interview with THISDAY, revealed that 37 members of PDP voluntarily went to court to seek an injunction against the provision of section 68 Sub (2) of the Constitution that requires the Speaker to declare their seats vacant if they are moving from one political party to another political party; if there is no faction or division in the party. Also, Ogor said section 68 sub (g) of the constitution states clearly that, if there is a merger; provided that the membership of the later political party is not as a result of a division in the political party for which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties by one of which he was previously sponsored. According to him, “What this section is talking about is that if there is a merger, like is the case of the name APC now which is a product of ACN, CPC and ANPP definitely, that is a clear merger and anybody can lay under that guise,” and as there is no faction in PDP. He added: “If you want to move out of PDP, it beholds on you to vacate your seat, go for election and if you win under the new party you are going to, you can now come back and occupy the seat because you cannot reap where you did not sow. “I want to draw reference from the Amaechi versus the PDP in the aspect of the Supreme Court ruling, where it was clearly stated that the seat you occupy is that of the political party and not your own seat. Now if that is the case, then those 37 seats belong to PDP and these members went to court to seek an injunction and they got an interlocutory junction. The subject matter, which is the main issue, he said, has not been disposed. “The interlocutory injunction they got was to protect their seats for the time being while the substantive matter is still standing in court. Now these 37 members have decided, for reasons best known to them that they are going to APC. But they also know that the seat, as it stands presently, is still that of the PDP in line with the Amaechi versus the Supreme Court ruling. He asked: “What if the court rules otherwise tomorrow, that yes, these 37 members must vacate their seats and go for election, with our number of 202 we will still be in majority. So, if we allow them, today, to go and vote for APC, they will have cost us an irreparable damage if the court rules otherwise tomorrow,” Ogor added.

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