The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal to declare vacant the seats of 37 Reps that defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The 37 members elected on the platform of the PDP had, on Wednesday, defected to the APC with many others waiting in the wings to follow suit.

A statement issued on Thursday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the members ought to lose their seats for renouncing the membership of the party.

The statement said: “Since the affected members have renounced their membership of the PDP, we call on the presiding officer in the House of Representatives to declare the 37 seats vacant without any further delay.

“This action shall be in adherence to our grand norm, which is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

Metuh dismissed claims by the defectors to the effect that they had obtained a court injunction restraining the relevant authorities from declaring their seat vacant, saying they must have misinterpreted the court’s injunction.

The statement said: “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been drawn to claims by 37 defecting members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the PDP to the APC that they obtained an injunction restraining the leadership of the National Assembly and the party from declaring their seats vacant in line with provisions of the Constitution.

“We have, after a careful review, discovered that this claim is false. For the avoidance of doubt, the order of the court clearly says that status quo be maintained, which means the affected members shall remain members of the PDP.

“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in section 68 (i) (g) clearly spells out the consequences of cross carpeting when there is no division in any party. We wish to re-emphasise here that the courts have pronounced, and INEC has concurred that there are no factions in the PDP.

“Nigerians are eagerly awaiting this call to duty as this will go a long way in demonstrating our commitment to the rule of law.”

Drowning party wants to declare seats open. You challenged them to leave PDP if they could but they left and now you are clamoring for them to come back. PDP will become SS/SE party by middle of February. You can take that to the bank.

very interesting, calling onTambuwa to declare the seat vacant is quite interesting. Tambuwa is an APC member hoping to run for presidency hence he must demonstrate his loyalty to his new friends.
waiting to see how things will play out in 2014

automaticcars: Drowning party wants to declare seats open. You challenged them to leave PDP if they could but they left and now you are clamoring for them to come back. PDP will become SS/SE party by middle of February. You can take that to the bank.

The reward of empty threats.

APC has the majority in the House of Reps now.

PDP is funny.

Their seats have already been declared vacant! Hocus-pocus.

Do me, i do you. They started it.

donphilopus: Their seats have already been declared vacant! Hocus-pocus.

Isah yuguda come to mind anytime pdp made this emty threat.

Omen100:

Lol!

Toktee: Isah yuguda come to mind anytime pdp made this emty threat.

Help me tell them oo! I don't know the problem with them oo; when he married Yaradua's daughter, he defected to PDP, they all kept quiet! Now people have done same, they are here barking like mad dogs.

Losers!

But Tukur said they wont miss them....
Bunch of losers, Pdp will soon reach "menopause".

PDP are bad losers

There are consequences for these choices

let the constitution be upheld

Declare their seats vacant immediately

mikeansy: There are consequences for these choices

let the constitution be upheld

Declare their seats vacant immediately

Once their seats are declared vacant, they shall become partyless immediately pending when PDP replaces them with other reps.
Worst case, another elections in affected constituencies.

Isn't this akin to telling Nigeria Police Force to go arrest an armed robber when they are accomplice to armed robbery in Nigeria...so TUKUR..YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN.

We are waiting! O ye COWARDS!

mikeansy: There are consequences for these choices

let the constitution be upheld

Declare their seats vacant immediately

It is so shocking that most of you who make so much noise on NL about Nigeria are poorly educated about her laws and constitution. Go and acquire more know legion what the constitution says about defection by lawmakers.

If you do not know, these lawmakers have consulted the lawyers before taking any step and like Tam David West said, they are one step ahead of GEJ and His crew...

PDP is now a. Minority party in Nigeria politics.... live with the reality and stop chasing shadows.

But Tambuwal can not have it both ways

He has to either declare those seats vancant or step down as speaker for the current minority APC leader to take over as speaker until the courts clarify

Omo_Tier1:
It is so shocking that most of you who make so much noise on NL about Nigeria are poorly educated about her laws and constitution. Go and acquire more know legion what the constitution says about defection by lawmakers.

If you do not know, these lawmakers have consulted the lawyers before taking any step and like Tam David West said, they are one step ahead of GEJ and His crew...

PDP is now a. Minority party in Nigeria politics.... live with the reality and stop chasing shadows.

Please educate us on what the law says?

mikeansy: But Tambuwal can not have it both ways

He has to either declare those seats vancant or step down as speaker for the current minority APC leader to take over as speaker until the courts clarify

A classical cache 22
We are watching and dancing azonto

Onlytruth:

A classical cache 22
We are watching and dancing azonto

yes o

Oji mbe na ala ji onwe ya!