The Labour Party has announced its decision to initiate legal action to reclaim the seats of four lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party criticized the lawmakers for retaining their parliamentary positions after switching allegiance to the ruling party.
Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, disclosed this during an interview with The PUNCH.
His statement follows the defection of the lawmakers, whose letters of resignation were read by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, on Thursday.
The defectors—Tochukwu Okere (Imo), Donatus Mathew (Kaduna), Bassey Akiba (Cross River), Iyawe Esosa (Edo), and Daulyop Fom (Plateau)—have been accused of betraying the party’s mandate.
Ifoh condemned their actions, describing them as “unfortunate, irrational, and inconsistent with democratic principles.”
Referring to Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution, Ifoh emphasized that lawmakers sponsored by a political party must vacate their seats upon defection unless the party is experiencing a crisis.
He outlined the party’s three-step response to the defections: condemning the act, petitioning the Speaker to declare the seats vacant, and pursuing legal action.
“We have asked the Speaker to declare their seats vacant, but given his open support for the defectors, we are not optimistic about his compliance. Consequently, we will escalate the matter to the courts. Our legal department has been instructed to proceed with filing the case,” Ifoh stated.
He also announced the establishment of a “Hall of Shame” register to document the identities of “defected public office holders, rebels and troublemakers” who, in his words, have disgraced the Labour Party. The register is set to be publicly unveiled on Monday (today).
“Let me tell you that significantly by tomorrow, Monday, we are going to publish the register of the hall of shame. We will make it available and publish it in the media generally.
“This will be done for people to know that it is wrong to take a party’s mandate to another party without doing what Section 68, Subsection 1(g) says concerning defection, especially when the party is not in crisis.
“But when leaving, you are supposed to drop the mandate. So, the register will be published tomorrow. On Monday, you will see it,” Ifoh affirmed.