The Kwara State House of Assembly has declared the seats of two members vacant following their defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The affected lawmakers are Saba Yisa Gideon, representing Edu Constituency, and Olusola Odetundun, representing Irepodun Constituency.
The Assembly’s decision was based on constitutional provisions governing the defection of elected lawmakers from the political parties on whose platforms they secured their mandates.
The matter was brought before the House following a request from the Kwara State APC Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, who urged the Speaker, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, to declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant.
Fagbemi cited Section 109(1)(g)(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, arguing that the lawmakers were elected under the APC and that there was no recognised division within the party to permit their defection.
Speaking during the deliberations, House Leader Abdulkadir Oba Magaji described the matter as a constitutional issue, maintaining that lawmakers could not ordinarily leave the party that sponsored their election while still holding their mandates unless circumstances provided for by the Constitution existed.
Magaji said the two lawmakers had joined the PDP and were reportedly seeking to continue representing their constituencies under the platform of the opposition party.
Lawmakers including Abolarin Ganiyu Gabriel, Ganiyu Folabi Salahu and Oguniyi David Sheun backed the request for the declaration of the seats as vacant.
Following the debate, Speaker Salihu Yakubu Danladi declared the Edu and Irepodun constituency seats vacant in accordance with the cited constitutional provisions.
The decision is expected to generate further political activity in the two constituencies and could reshape the political calculations ahead of the next electoral cycle.
