Defection: PDP Writes INEC

As part of
its resolve
to
checkmate
the gale of
defection
from the
party, the
national
working committee of the Peoples democratic Party
has written to the Independent National Electoral
Commission asking it to declare vacant the seats of
37 of its members in the House of Representatives,
who last Wednesday dumped the party for the
opposition APC.
A Sunday Sun source revealed that the letter which
was dated December 19, 2013 and addressed to the
Chairman of the electoral body, Professor Atahiru
Jega was jointly signed by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur,
Professor Wale Oladipo and Victor Kwom, national
chairman, national secretary and national legal
adviser of the party, respectively.
Recall that the affected lawmakers from Kwara,
Rivers, Sokoto, Kano and Adamawa states under
the control of PDP governors that defected to APC
had since filed a suit at the Federal High Court in
Abuja, seeking an order to restrain PDP national
chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Senate President,
David Mark, Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and the INEC
from declaring their seats vacant.
But when asked to confirm if the Commission had
received a correspondence from PDP on the
defected lawmakers, Kayode Idowu, media
spokesperson to Professor Jega said he was not
aware of such a letter. He also told Sunday Sun that
it was not the statutory responsibility of INEC to
declare seats vacant.
“I don’t know, but it isn’t the duty of INEC to declare
seats vacant. But honestly, I am not aware of such
a letter from PDP,” Idowu said.