Defection: Pack your loads, leave National Assembly – Rep Etanabene to LP lawmakers who joined APC

Hon. Benedict Etanabene representing Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency in Delta State, has asked the four lawmakers who recently dumped the Labour Party for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to do the honourable thing by vacating their seats.

According to him, the lawmakers need not be persuaded to do this since the law is very clear on such matters.

DAILY POST reported that four members of the LP caucus in the lower chamber defected to the ruling party on Thursday.

The lawmakers are Chinedu Okere (Owerri municipal/owerri north/Owerri west constituency), Mathew Donatus (Kaura federal constituency of Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Calabar municipal/Odukpani constituency), and Esosa Iyawe (Oredo federal constituency of Edo).

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen announced the defection on the floor of the House.

The LP has already vowed to declare their seats vacant.

Reacting, Etanabene said on Channels Television’s Politics Today (Friday’s edition): “You were voted into office by this party and you’re now there, you now see the need to jump to another party.

“That matter does not need any explanation. They should have just packed their loads and left the assembly. That is the truth.

“That is the provision of the law. Why this was drafted into the law is to avoid situations like this. But I tell you, it happens every now and then and it is allowed in this country.

“If not, it is clear. If there’s no division in the party at the national level, you cannot go to another party jettisoning the party that elected you into office. It is clear. Division of the party must be established by court; it is not in the wings and caprices of anybody to postulate or assume a division.

“The court in Nigeria today, even when there were skirmishes of that a few months back, had said that the Julius Abure-led NWC is the authentic leadership of the party. Is there any order of the court contrary to that? I’m not aware.

“So, I don’t believe that what they did is right in the face of law. In a sane society where discipline runs, once that announcement was made yesterday, by today nobody should be sitting on their seats.

“I don’t think this leadership of the house will declare their seats vacant. It’s the trend that has been in place but we must continue to challenge that action in the eyes of the law.”