Crisis Rocks Kaduna House Of Assembly
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked its House of Representatives and the Kaduna State House of Assembly members who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to vacate their seats.
The lawmakers from Southern Kaduna were among 50 people who moved from the opposition party to the APC on Saturday.
Governor Senator Uba Sani officially received the defectors, including former governor Ramalan Yero and former senator Danjuma La’ah, during a stakeholder meeting of the APC in Murtala Square, Kaduna.
The PDP condemned the development in a statement issued on Sunday by Maria Dogo, the party’s publicity secretary in Kaduna State. It said these defections, particularly by serving lawmakers, are a brazen betrayal of the trust placed in them by the people.
Mrs Dogo said that while the PDP acknowledges every Nigerian’s constitutional right to freedom of association, it views the defections as unacceptable.
“Consequently, we assure the people of Kaduna State, particularly those from the affected constituencies, that the PDP leadership will invoke the provisions of the constitution to recover our mandates, as there is no division or split in our party leadership at the national level.
“According to Sections 68(1)(g) and 109 of the Constitution, serving legislators who defect to another party must vacate their seats.
“We urge the Speakers of the House of Representatives and the Kaduna State House of Assembly to declare the seats of these defectors vacant and notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections.
“The PDP remains unshaken by these defections and also the preferred choice of the vast majority of the people of Kaduna State.
“Our party’s popularity was evident in the last local government council elections, where the people stood by us in rejecting the APC’s attempt to impose its candidates, leading to the shameless announcement of candidates who couldn’t even vote for themselves as winners,” the party said.
The opposition party said some of the defectors are spent forces or overambitious politicians who either lost in the PDP’s zoning arrangements in their constituencies or lost primaries in 2022 and had been secretly working for the APC.
She said their defection was a desperate attempt to secure automatic tickets in 2026, as the APC doesn’t hold primaries.
“We challenge the governor to reshuffle his lopsided and inept cabinet and appoint these defectors to strategic positions if he truly believes they have value to offer.
“We also advise the governor and the Kaduna State government to stop wasting taxpayers’ money on elaborate receptions for defectors.
Instead, they should focus on delivering the dividends of democracy, which have eluded the citizens since the inception of this administration
“The truth is, our people are yearning for a return to the PDP years when the economy thrived and citizens could afford their basic needs.
“Therefore, no amount of defections can save the APC-led government from its imminent exit in 2027,” the party said
Mrs Dogo said the PDP, under the leadership of Edward Masha, the state chairman, remains committed to defending democracy and ensuring the people’s voices are heard.
