The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on its former lawmakers in the House of Representatives and the Kaduna State House of Assembly to step down following their recent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The defectors, mainly from Southern Kaduna, were among 50 politicians who officially joined the APC on Saturday. They were received by Governor Uba Sani during a stakeholders’ meeting at Murtala Square, Kaduna, alongside former Governor Ramalan Yero and ex-Senator Danjuma La’ah.
In a statement issued on Sunday, PDP’s Kaduna State Publicity Secretary, Maria Dogo, condemned the defections, describing them as a betrayal of public trust. She cited Sections 68(1)(g) and 109 of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulate that lawmakers who switch parties must vacate their seats unless their former party is experiencing internal division.
“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of association, but it also mandates that elected officials who defect from the party under which they were elected must step down unless there is a crisis in their original party,” Dogo stated.
The PDP urged the Speakers of the House of Representatives and the Kaduna State House of Assembly to declare the defectors’ seats vacant and notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections.
The party dismissed the defections as politically opportunistic, alleging that some lawmakers were merely seeking automatic tickets for the 2026 elections after failing in the PDP’s zoning arrangements or losing in the 2022 primaries.
Dogo also criticized the APC-led government, accusing Governor Sani’s administration of prioritizing political showmanship over governance.
“Instead of addressing pressing economic and security challenges, the APC is busy organizing elaborate receptions for defectors. But our people remember the PDP years when the economy thrived, and citizens could afford basic necessities. No amount of defections can save the APC from being voted out in 2027,” he added.
Despite the defections, the PDP reaffirmed its strength and commitment to democracy, assuring supporters that it remains the preferred choice in Kaduna. The party’s state chairman, Edward Masha, vowed to take all necessary legal and constitutional steps to reclaim its mandates.
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