PDP To Kwara Assembly: Reverse Your Decision Without Delay, Parliament Not ‘APC Disciplinary Committee’
Kwara State PDP has voiced an objection to the declaration of Hon. Olushola Odetundun and Hon. Saba Yisa Gideon’s parliament seats ‘vacant’ by the state House of Assembly describing the action as a politically motivated attempt to punish the two state lawmakers for exercising their constitutional and political rights.
Odetundun represents Irepodun state constituency while Gideon represents Edu state constituency.
The party in a statement issued to react to the decision taken by the house of assembly on Tuesday said it was particularly disturbing that the decision in question was premised on the letter sent to Speaker Salihu Danladi by the state APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, ‘who is not a member of the affected two constituencies , effectively turning the State House of Assembly into an extension of the APC’s internal disciplinary machinery’.
The party in a statement made available to Team@orientactualmags.com by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr Olusegun Olusola Adewara asked the House of Assembly to make public the evidence presented before it and demonstrate that the requirements of Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution were duly complied with before such a consequential decision was taken.
‘While the PDP is aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution, which deals with defection by members of a State House of Assembly, the party insists that constitutional provisions must be applied strictly and not selectively or politically. The Constitution itself recognises circumstances relating to division within a political party, while Section 109(2) requires evidence satisfactory to the House before the Speaker gives effect to the provision. The Kwara Assembly cannot therefore reduce a constitutional question to a mere political declaration based on a letter from the chairman of the party from which the lawmakers have departed.
It is also curious that the same APC which appears to have lost the confidence of Hon. Odetundun and Hon. Saba is now deploying the machinery of the State Assembly to punish them for choosing the PDP, rather than allowing the people of Irepodun and Edu to determine their political representatives through the electoral process. If the APC is confident of its popularity, it should face the electorate instead of attempting to remove its former members through parliamentary manoeuvring’ the statement said.
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The party added that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Speaker Yakubu Danladi must understand that ‘the State House of Assembly is an institution of the people of Kwara State and not a political enforcement arm of the APC’ while demanding immediate reversal of the decision to declare the two parliament seats vacant and giving a hint that a legal action will be instituted..
‘The Speaker, in particular, as the APC governorship candidate, must demonstrate that he can separate his partisan interest from the constitutional responsibilities of his office. He cannot aspire to govern the entire state while presiding over a legislature that appears determined to silence representatives simply because they have chosen to belong to another political party.
We therefore call on the leadership of the Kwara State House of Assembly to immediately reverse this politically charged decision and allow the courts, where necessary, to determine the constitutional implications of the defection rather than rushing to a predetermined conclusion.
The PDP will not accept any attempt to use the legislature to intimidate or politically persecute its members and will deploy every lawful and constitutional means available, including judicial action, to protect the rights of Hon. Odetundun, Hon. Saba and the constituents they represent’ the statement added-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
