Politics
Like Kaduna, Niger Assembly declares lawmaker’s seat vacant over defection
The seat of a member of the Niger State House of Assembly, Danladi Iyah, has been declared vacant by the state’s lawmakers for dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The development happened on Wednesday after Iyah, who represents Tafa constituency had announced his resignation from the ruling APC in a letter read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa.
Iyah had in his letter claimed that his decision to leave the APC was sequel to ‘untold hostility’ he was subjected to by his former party. The hostility according to him even led to his suspension in June 2018 without fair hearing and that all efforts he made to get the suspension lifted amounted to exercise in futility.
However in a motion moved by Bala Abba (Borgu, APC) and seconded by Mohammed Haruna (Bida II, APC), which was anchored on a letter sent to the House by the state chairman of the APC, Alhaji Jibril Imam, the House declared Iyah’s seat vacant.
Abba argued that the constitutional stipulation that a member could only leave his party if there was a division was not the case in Iyah’s case, adding that the lawmakers claim for dumping APC was reason was not tenable.
READ ALSO: DEFECTION: Kaduna Assembly declares seat of deputy speaker vacant, replaces him
He said, “The only ground on which a member can leave his party is if there is a division within that party. And since there is no division in the APC and he is leaving, his seat should be declared vacant.”
Consequently, the House unanimously resolved to declare the member’s seat vacant through a voice vote.
This came just as Kaduna State lawmakers had also on Wednesday declared the seats of the state House of Assembly Deputy Speaker John Audu-Kwaturu, and another member vacant over their defection from the ruling APC to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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