–Senator Bukola Saraki is reportedly planning to declare Akpabio’s seat vacant
– This is because the senator left the PDP even though there is no crisis in the party
– A senator in the north central insists the Senate is guided by principles
The defection of Senator Godswill Akpabio from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is being considered illegal which may be lead to his seat being declared as vacant.
According to The Punch, a senator from the north central who is an all of Senate president Bukola Saraki claimed there was no crisis in the PDP making Akpabio’s defection illegal.
He said: “On resumption any moment from now, the APC senators would call for realignment so that those who defected would move to the seats reserved for members of their political party.
“It is in the course of doing so that the Senate President will wield the big stick against Akpabio and others by asking them to justify their reasons for defection.
“The activities of the Senate as an institution are guided by rules and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The only constitutional window for defection from one political party to another is if there is a faction or division in the party on whose platform a senator is elected.
“For now, I am not aware of any division or faction in the PDP at the moment that could warrant the action of Akpabio and others.
“The Senate President is expected to exercise his constitutional powers now to declare the seats of Akpabio and others’ vacant until they are able to justify the reasons for their defection.
“We know that the development would provoke an uproar, but the Senate President would remain resolute. So, the only option that would be left for Akpabio and his co-travellers would be to approach the court to determine whether there is actually a division in the PDP or not.
“Until the procurement of the legal interpretation of their status, those who defected from the PDP would be barred from entering the premises of the National Assembly.
“They will probably remain in court till the end of the current 8th Assembly.”
