Lawmakers in Anambra State House of Assembly have condemned the recent mass defection of members of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and other parties to the All Progressives Congress soon after PDP lost the presidential poll.
Spokesman for a group of the legislators who spoke to the Vanguard, yesterday, Mr. Chugbo Enwezor, described the development as destructive to the country’s democracy. “The development means that the PDP ab initio did not believe in its programme and manifesto which means the members were not committed party members. They were just there to look for greener pasture.
“For democracy to survive in this country, we need a viable and strong opposition as obtained in the western world where we borrowed democracy. By leaving your party to swell the number of a ruling party, APC, means you are not in a political party for service to your people,” he said.
Enwezor also condemned the defection of lawmakers from the political platform they were elected to another party, saying it was not only against the tenets of democracy, but also contrary to section 69 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
‘’The section stipulates that such a person should lose his or her seat in the National or State Assembly and a by-election conducted. ‘’The provision is there in the constitution but there is a lacuna which needs proper interpretation so that section of the constitution would be fully implemented to deter others from defection,” he said.
Spokesman for a group of the legislators who spoke to the Vanguard, yesterday, Mr. Chugbo Enwezor, described the development as destructive to the country’s democracy. “The development means that the PDP ab initio did not believe in its programme and manifesto which means the members were not committed party members. They were just there to look for greener pasture.
“For democracy to survive in this country, we need a viable and strong opposition as obtained in the western world where we borrowed democracy. By leaving your party to swell the number of a ruling party, APC, means you are not in a political party for service to your people,” he said.
Enwezor also condemned the defection of lawmakers from the political platform they were elected to another party, saying it was not only against the tenets of democracy, but also contrary to section 69 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
‘’The section stipulates that such a person should lose his or her seat in the National or State Assembly and a by-election conducted. ‘’The provision is there in the constitution but there is a lacuna which needs proper interpretation so that section of the constitution would be fully implemented to deter others from defection,” he said.
