The Deputy Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu, on Wednesday engaged the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila on the floor of the House, accusing him of aiding the outright breach of the constitution with regards to the defection of members.
Reacting to the latest defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) by some members of the House, he accused the Speaker of ignoring section 68 of the 1999 Constitution
Okechukwu cited sections 68 of the constitution. The section provides that a member may lose his seat if he defects to another party with division in his party.
68(1g) reads, “A member of the Senate or of the House of Representatives shall vacate his seat in the House of which he is a member if –
“Being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected; Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.”
In his protest, he stated that the PDP is observing the “continuous disregard for the constitution by the speaker on section 68(1g) of the Constitution.
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He was however rebuked by the speaker, he warned that being recognized to speak is a privilege. Adding that the job of interpretation is for the judiciary, not him.
Gbajabiamila asked the PDP to approach the court to seek redress.
Mr Amadu is the last PDP member from Zamfara State.
Meanwhile, the report on the electoral act amendment bill was laid today.
The report was presented by the chairman of the House committee on Electoral Matter, Aisha Dukku.