The Labour Party (LP) has initiated legal action against six members of the House of Representatives who defected from the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Last week, five LP lawmakers switched allegiance to the APC, citing an “internal crisis” within the party. On Tuesday, another lawmaker, Ajang Iliya from Plateau State, followed suit, bringing the total to six defectors.
In a statement on Thursday, Obiora Ifoh, the Labour Party spokesperson, condemned the defections, accusing the lawmakers of betraying their constituents and the party. He described their actions as a breach of constitutional provisions and demanded that their seats be declared vacant.
“These lawmakers are birds of a feather who had long planned to abscond with the people’s mandate,” Ifoh stated. “They have betrayed their constituents and must face the constitutional consequences of their actions.”
The Labour Party is also seeking a court order for the return of all salaries, emoluments, and privileges received by the defectors since they abandoned the party.
“The leadership of the Labour Party received with dismay the betrayal of the people of Jos South/Jos East by Mr. Ajang Iliya,” the statement read. “He has brought dishonor to himself and has now earned a place in the Labour Party’s ‘Hall of Shame.’”
Ifoh noted that while the constitution guarantees freedom of association, this right does not permit lawmakers to defect without first relinquishing the mandate they secured under a party’s platform. He emphasized that Section 68(g) of the 1999 Constitution clearly outlines the conditions under which defections are permissible and the consequences for violating these provisions.
The Labour Party also criticized the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, for failing to enforce the constitutional requirement to declare the defectors’ seats vacant.
“It is unnecessary to question why most of the defectors are aligning with the APC or why the Speaker has ignored the constitution,” Ifoh added. “These actions expose them as unworthy of public trust.”
The party confirmed that it has filed a lawsuit to compel the National Assembly leadership to declare the seats vacant and to recover all financial benefits received by the defectors since their departure.
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Opeoluwa Benson – Content Researcher
