PDP ( People’s democratic party) Asked Gbajabiamila To Declare Dogara’s Seat Vacant

The Bauchi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to declare the seat of his predecessor, Yakubu Dogara, vacant.⁣

Dogara last month dumped the PDP to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the PDP says Gbajabiamila must expel him in accordance with the constitution.⁣

⁣Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 constitution stipulates that a lawmaker in the National Assembly will have to surrender their seat if they decide to abandon the party on whose platform they were elected for a particular term.⁣

⁣The only acceptable condition under which such a lawmaker can retain their seat is if the reason for their defection was due to internal crisis in the party they abandoned, or if the party merged with another one.⁣

Section 68(2) compels the House Speaker to give effect to the provision, a role the PDP says Gbajabiamila must now play or risk consequences.⁣