The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been urged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to start the process of holding a new election in the Ethiope East/Ethiope West Federal Constituency. This demand comes after former Delta State Governor James Ibori’s daughter, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP said that her defection automatically resulted in the loss of her seat, powers, and privileges in the House of Representatives, in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution and Supreme Court decisions.
Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) requires such a vacancy, the party stressed. Ibori-Suenu was also cautioned by PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba not to continue acting as a member of the House, calling it impersonation and threatening legal action. The National Assembly Sergeant-at-Arms was also asked by the PDP to reflect her departure from the House of Representatives. In Nigerian politics, defections, or cross-carpeting, have been a common occurrence, frequently motivated by political alignments, ideological changes, or personal goals.
Nig’s constitution seeks to promote political stability and accountability.
Party domination is essential for enacting Legislation and shaping national policies, hence these defections usually alter the balance of power in legislative houses. To change the political landscape in the National Assembly, for example, more than 50 members defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties during the 2018 defection wave. Legislative effectiveness is impacted, instability is created, and occasionally by-elections or legal challenges are sparked, all of which have an effect on government.
According to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as modified), Section 68(1)(g) states that a lawmaker who leaves the political party they were elected to immediately forfeits their position, unless the defection results from a party split or merger. By guaranteeing that elected officials stay faithful to the party program that granted them their mandate, this clause seeks to promote political stability and accountability. In numerous rulings, the Supreme Court has affirmed this provision, highlighting the fact that a lawmaker’s loyalty to their party is fundamental to their stance in the legislature.
Defectors and their new parties frequently defend their actions.
Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu and the APC have yet to formally respond to the PDP’s request. Defectors and their new parties frequently defend such actions, nevertheless, by claiming that they are in the best interests of their constituents. The APC can contend that her departure reflects the wishes of the people she serves or is in line with larger national objectives. Even Ibori-Suenu can argue that she made her choice because she didn’t agree with the PDP’s current course.
For both parties, the defection has important ramifications. The PDP’s supporters, especially in Delta State, may become discouraged as a result of this loss of influence in the House of Representatives. The APC’s legislative authority may be increased, however, as it solidifies its majority in the House. It is possible that the APC will use the defection to gain support, making it difficult for the PDP to win back the Ethiopia East/West seat. On the other hand, by highlighting party loyalty and the constitutional violation at issue, the PDP might use this episode to mobilise its supporters.
Similar circumstances have occurred in the past.
By-elections frequently turn into high-stakes races in which both parties will probably spend a lot of money to win or hold onto the seat. Similar circumstances have arisen, supporting demands for more stringent enforcement of the constitution’s defection clauses. They also draw attention to Nigeria’s political flux, where party loyalty frequently yields to strategic or personal motives. Historical precedents indicate that although Ibori-Suenu has a solid legal foundation for losing her seat, the outcome of the PDP’s current demand would rely on how quickly and forcefully the Judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) take action.