Presidency Moves Against Defected PDP Lawmakers

Thirty-seven members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the House of Representatives had on Wednesday ended months of speculation as they formally defected to the APC.

The development increased the numerical strength of the APC from 135 to 172 therefore making it the party with a simple majority in the House as the PDP now has 171 members.

Wednesday’s mass defection of the lawmakers further fuelled speculations that with the lower house in the hands of the opposition, lawmakers may begin impeachment moves against President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Presidency has moved against lawmakers that defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Party on Wednesday.

It was learnt that the Presidency had asked the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, to declare the seats of the 37 lawmakers vacant.

It has also asked the electoral body to begin the process of conducting fresh election in the affected lawmakers’ constituencies with a view to replacing them since there is still one more year in the lifespan of the current legislature.

Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, said this in an exclusive interview on Thursday said.

“We have asked the Speaker and INEC to declare the seats of the lawmakers vacant. Anyone that wants to remain in the House should face the electorate and contest on the platform of their new party.the president  is not scared because he has not committed any impeachable offence,” 

He said what happened on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday was just a case of lawmakers following their state governors who had earlier defected.

He said since INEC had taken a position that there was no division in the ruling party

 “so the next step for the commission is to declare the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant and conduct fresh elections to replace them.There is no division in the PDP and you are aware that INEC has given a verdict to that effect.

The next step therefore is for the commission and the Speaker to declare the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant to pave the way for INEC to conduct fresh elections for their constituents to elect their replacements. Since there is still one year to go, INEC should prepare for elections.”

The presidential aide said the affected lawmakers should simply go and re-contest on the platform of their new party if they were desirous of remaining in the House of Representatives.

He said the Presidency’s position is that nobody should be forced to remain where he does not want to be.

When asked whether Jonathan is reaching out to the leadership of the House of Representatives on the development, Gulak said the President was in constant contact with the leadership of the National Assembly at the party level.

 In a swift reaction, the defected lawmakers said any attempt to declare their seats vacant would amount to the Presidency promoting rule of impunity. They also said INEC could not declare their seats vacant.

The defected lawmakers  referred the Presidency to the court ruling on the matter.

An Abuja court had a few weeks ago ruled that the seats of the lawmakers could not be declared vacant.culled

*Talk about drama!