Another blow to the finished PDP

Pressure mounted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the seats of the 37 Reps who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has met with rebuff from the commission.

The electoral body has told the ruling party that it is not within its powers to take such an action.

Speaking to The Nation on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Kayode Idowu, said that in the first place the commission was yet to receive any letter from the PDP on the defected lawmakers.

He also explained that it is not the duty of the commission to declare the seats of lawmakers vacant in whatever circumstance.

“Honestly, I am not aware of any such letter. I sincerely don’t know anything about it. But let me also add that it is not the job of INEC to take such a decision. INEC is not the one to declare seats of elected public office holders vacant. That is not what the law says and I can tell you that INEC is not going to do that,” he said.

Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, had been quoted in a newspaper interview that the PDP had written to INEC and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, to declare the seats of the 37 Reps vacant.

Details of the letter dated December 19, 2013 emerged yesterday.

The embattled National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, the National Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo, and the National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, who signed it asked INEC to immediately conduct elections into the affected constituencies following the defection of its members to the APC.

The PDP, they claimed, has no factions and consequently the defectors argument that they left on account of factionalism holds no water.

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

Section 68 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides thus: “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 -

(a) he becomes a member of another legislative house.

(b) any other circumstances arise that, if he were not a member of the Senate or the House of Representatives, would cause him to be disqualified for election as a member;

(c) he ceases to be a citizen of Nigeria;

(d) he becomes President, Vice-President, Governor, Deputy Governor or a Minister of the Government of the Federation or a Commissioner of the Government of a State or a Special Adviser.

(e) save as otherwise prescribed by this Constitution, he becomes a member of a commission or other body established by this Constitution or by any other law.

(f) without just cause he is absent from meetings of the House of which he is a member for a period amounting in the aggregate to more than one-third of the total number of days during which the House meets in any one year;

(g) 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; or

(h) the President of the Senate or, as the case may be, the Speaker of the House of Representatives receives a certificate under the hand of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission stating that the provisions of section 69 of this Constitution have been complied with in respect of the recall of that member.

(2) The President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as the case may be, shall give effect to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, so however that the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives or a member shall first present evidence satisfactory to the House concerned that any of the provisions of that subsection has become applicable in respect of that member.

The federal legislators dumped the PDP on Wednesday and formally joined the APC.

Their joining the opposition party increased the number of APC legislators in the House from 135 to 172 and left the PDP in the minority with 171 members

Source

The 5 and 35 is the test run, such verdicts will embolden those on the fence.

UPPER CUT!!

The earlier GEJ realizes that he cannot be saved by Tukur, Asari-Dokubo, or any of his 'trusted' advisers including Okupe and Abati, the better for him. His Party is crumbling right in front of his eyes, while he keeps mum, hoping for a miracle from the likes of Adeboye, Oritsejafor, and TB Joshua instead of jumping in the fight and fighting like a man.

Only 9 more defectors to APC are needed before the house is lost to APC. If he is wise he'd start spending some of the billions they've stashed away for 2015 for PR and other 'encouragements' of PDP members who are currently on the fence or he'll find out that he may not even have the opportunity to contest in 2015. The President is proving to be a very ineffective and weak tactician and loser.

If this man cannot lead effectively in fighting Boko Haram, in keeping his PDP intact, in taking decisive steps to curb blatant theft and corruption within his cabinet members, why the hell can't he just resign? We Nigerians most definitely deserve much better than this. What a shame!!!

Hahahaahahaha

According to our NL PDP e-rodents and roaches....PDP dey kampe.

what are they still waiting for if they can do it, let them go ahead and do it

And the noose around his neck keeps getting tighter!!

Ezedon: what are they still waiting for if they can do it, let them go ahead and do it

Do what exactly?

ndu_chucks: The earlier GEJ realizes that he cannot be saved by Tukur, Asari-Dokubo, or any of his 'trusted' advisers including Okupe and Abati, the better for him. His Party is crumbling right in front of his eyes, while he keeps mum, hoping for a miracle from the likes of Adeboye, Oritsejafor, and TB Joshua instead of jumping in the fight and fighting like a man.

Only 9 more defectors to APC are needed before the house is lost to APC. If he is wise he'd start spending some of the billions they've stashed away for 2015 for PR and other 'encouragements' of PDP members who are currently on the fence or he'll find out that he may not even have the opportunity to contest in 2015. The President is proving to be a very ineffective and weak tactician and loser.

If this man cannot lead effectively in fighting Boko Haram, in keeping his PDP intact, in taking decisive steps to curb blatant theft and corruption within his cabinet members, why the hell can't he just resign? We Nigerians most definitely deserve much better than this. What a shame!!!

Bitter truth!

We need a change for better.

ImperialYoruba: The 5 and 35 is the test run, such verdicts will embolden those on the fence.

Those on the fence are much more than emboldened, they are ready to switch as well. Peole like OBJ and Atiku who are experts at these kinds of fights have been alienated by GEJ. There is still some hope - he should radically shake-up his cabinet, replaces Tukur, Okupe, and Abati, and embrace people who can help him make the 2015 fight a real fight, rather than a route.

He should reach out to other tribes, groups and his former ally. It has shown that his tribal and religion tactics is not working, also he does not have good strategist arround him. It is not too late for him to correct things and put himself back in the driving seat, but he needs to get rid of praise singers, emotional and sentimental people close to him and shop for real strategist and people who will tell him the truth.

This article contains empty news and there's nothing to debate since PDP never told them to declare the seats vacant.

ndu_chucks: Another blow to the finished PDP

Speaking to The Nation on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Kayode Idowu, said that in the first place the commission was yet to receive any letter from the PDP on the defected lawmakers.

Ngwakwe: This article contains empty news and there's nothing to debate since PDP never told them to declare the seats vacant.



Speaking to The Nation on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Kayode Idowu, said that in the first place the commission was yet to receive any letter from the PDP on the defected lawmakers.

Because sending a letter to INEC against extant provisions in the constitution is a bloody waste of time..

Then why the busybody by The Nation Newspapers. It never and will never happen.

ilugunboy:

Because sending a letter to INEC against extant provisions in the constitution is a bloody waste of time..

seunfly: He should reach out to other tribes, groups and his former ally. It has shown that his tribal and religion tactics is not working, also he does not have good strategist arround him. It is not too late for him to correct things and put himself back in the driving seat, but he needs to get rid of praise singers, emotional and sentimental people close to him and shop for real strategist and people who will tell him the truth.

too late

Another Nuclear attack
epon Jonathan to fo

Ngwakwe: This article contains empty news and there's nothing to debate since PDP never told them to declare the seats vacant.



Speaking to The Nation on the matter, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Kayode Idowu, said that in the first place the commission was yet to receive any letter from the PDP on the defected lawmakers.

I suspect that INEC is either yet to receive the letter from PDP, or GEJ, Tukur, and his team have resorted to lying in addition to being incompetent and foolish.

Let me post the following since you appear to be ignorant of what your party leaders are doing on your belalf:

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has sent a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission asking it to declare vacant the seats of the 37 lawmakers in the House of Representatives that defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress.

The letter by the party was signed by its National Chairman, Mr. Bamanga Tukur, and the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo.

A member of the party’s National Working Committee, who disclosed this to a selected group of journalists in Abuja on Saturday, said the letter was dated December 19, 2013, a day after the lawmakers abandoned the party that brought them to office.

Source

Hope you are still not confused after reading the above.

Wettin concern me. Na baba iyabo and iyabo case dey my desk now.

These lawmakers are fooling themselves

PDP just need to go to court and ask the court to compel the relevant officials to declare the seats vacant

Nigerian politicians are very ridiculous and annoying

The consequences of changing parties is clear in the constitution, let those who changed party be ready to face the consequences. that's the consequence of their political choices and they should face it like men!

Pls reason sensibly

Save Jonathan Save fresh air!

the moment PDP had internal crisis, i realised that God has answered our prayer concerning dis nation, PDP must go down, i dnt support any party bt in d hand of PDP Nigeria will continue moving FULL CIRCLE BACKWARDS

mikeansy: These lawmakers are fooling themselves

PDP just need to go to court and ask the court to compel the relevant officials to declare the seats vacant

Nigerian politicians are very ridiculous and annoying

The consequences of changing parties is clear in the constitution, let those who changed party be ready to face the consequences. that's the consequence of their political choices and they should face it like men!

Suppose the court turns the PDP down, as it should?

I don't believe there exists any judge in Nigeria who will make a ruling which could destabilize the country, when he can let the status quo be, and support his judgement by constitutional provisions. If there is a division within a party, these lawmakers can switch without violating any provision of the constitution. It is not difficult to see the obvious division within the PDP.

ajani1978: We need a change for better.

Who are those change?
Same old woods?
I see nothing but same deceitful old woods cross carpeting.

ndu_chucks:

Suppose the court turns the PDP down, as it should?

I don't believe there exists any judge in Nigeria who will make a ruling which could destabilize the country, when he can let the status quo be, and support his judgement by constitutional provisions. If there is a division within a party, these lawmakers can switch without violating any provision of the constitution. It is not difficult to see the obvious division within the PDP.

The PDP should abide by whatever the court ruling is and if necessary the process should be fast-tracked so the supreme court can have a say asap. after which all should abide by the ruling of the supreme court

But the judges are there to interprete laws as-is. It is not their duty to appreciate the political implication.

Otherwise we wont need courts/judges to resolve our differences

If there are people who want to forment trouble because the law is interpreted as-is? then we should as a nation be ready to face such monster. We should not shy away from upholding the law no matter the consequences.

POVERTY DEVELOPMENT PARTY DON FINISH

mikeansy: These lawmakers are fooling themselves

PDP just need to go to court and ask the court to compel the relevant officials to declare the seats vacant

Nigerian politicians are very ridiculous and annoying

The consequences of changing parties is clear in the constitution, let those who changed party be ready to face the consequences. that's the consequence of their political choices and they should face it like men!

ma broda do u mind people here that don´t read in between the lines. The constitution states it very clear that those sits are forfeit. No wonder GEJ is not even bordering himself.

mikeansy:

The PDP should abide by whatever the court ruling is and if necessary the process should be fast-tracked so the supreme court can have a say asap. after which all should abide by the ruling of the supreme court

But the judges are their to interprete laws as-is. It is not their duty to appreciate the political implication.

Otherwise we wont need courts/judges to resolve our differences

If there are people who want to forment trouble because the law is interpreted as-is? then we should as a nation be ready to face such monster.

I agree with you here, but I believe that many Nigerian judges do their duties with great consideration to the political implication of their judgements. This is quite unfortunate but largely true. In addition to this sadly, these judges can be bribed.

ndu_chucks:

Suppose the court turns the PDP down, as it should?

I don't believe there exists any judge in Nigeria who will make a ruling which could destabilize the country, when he can let the status quo be, and support his judgement by constitutional provisions. If there is a division within a party, these lawmakers can switch without violating any provision of the constitution. It is not difficult to see the obvious division within the PDP.

Unfortunately the law does not work that way.
You can read up about how Amaechi became governor of Rivers state without standing for election in 2007.
PDP especially under Jonathan's leadership is only being a democratic party of law & order by formally requesting INEC and the Speaker HoR to do what OUR laws require while at the same time asking the law courts to deal with the matter as the ultimate arbiter.

seunfly: He should reach out to other tribes, groups and his former ally. It has shown that his tribal and religion tactics is not working, also he does not have good strategist arround him. It is not too late for him to correct things and put himself back in the driving seat, but he needs to get rid of praise singers, emotional and sentimental people close to him and shop for real strategist and people who will tell him the truth.

most people in power don't always like to be told the truth