The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a move to deter further defections has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking the removal of four federal lawmakers from Osun State over their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The affected legislators are Senator Olubiyi Oluwole Fadeyi (Osun Central), Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi (Osun East), Hon. Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro (Ife Central/East/North and South Federal Constituency), and Hon. Omirin Emmanuel Olusanya (Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West Federal Constituency).
In four separate suits filed on Wednesday by its lead counsel, Raphael Oyewole, the PDP listed each lawmaker as the 1st defendant. The Senate President was joined as 2nd defendant in the cases involving the senators, while the Speaker of the House of Representatives was named as 2nd defendant in the suits against the two House members. The National Assembly, the Clerk of the National Assembly, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were cited as 3rd to 5th defendants in all the cases.
The PDP cited that, in line with Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), lawmakers who defect from the political party on whose platform they were elected, without any evidence of a division, merger, or faction in that party, automatically lose their seats.
The PDP prayed the court to declare that the continued stay of the four lawmakers in office, after leaving the PDP for the APC, violates the Constitution and renders their seats vacant by operation of law.
The PDP also asked the court for:
An order of mandamus compelling Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to declare the seats vacant;
A directive to INEC to conduct by-elections to fill the affected constituencies and senatorial districts;
An order instructing the Clerk of the National Assembly to stop paying salaries, allowances, and other entitlements to the lawmakers;
A refund of all salaries, allowances, and benefits received by the lawmakers from the date they defected until the final judgment.
The PDP insisted that granting the reliefs sought would strictly enforce Section 68(1)(g) and (2) of the Constitution and restore constitutional order in the National Assembly.
