Politics
Gale Of Defections: Lawyer Blames Constitutional Provisions
A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Barr Chioma Choko has blamed the indiscriminate defection of politicians in the country from one political party to another on openings created in the 1999 Constitution (As Amended) with regard to the subject matter.
Barr Choko made the assertion while exchanging views with The Tide in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, recently.
According to the lawyer, even though the constitution talks about the incidence of a division or crisis within a political party as a condition precedent for an elected member to move from his political party to another, the same constitution is not clear about what constitutes a division or crisis.
“Yes, we acknowledge that there are provisions (in the constitution) that allow a particular candidate (elected member) to move without approaching the court, the provisions of the law regulating this particular activity is not clear as to the definition of certain acts of that particular political party that can be concluded by members of the public to mean acts that are inconsistent with the rules and regulations of the political party,” he said, adding that “this, as a matter of fact, has given leeway to political party members who would want to move from where they say they’re no longer comfortable to a particular political party where they feel that their interest will be secured”.
With specific reference to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmakers in the Imo State House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, Barr Choko, who is also a member of the APC in Rivers State said the legislators action could only be self-serving.
“In the case of Imo State, a large number of the society will agree with me that what is playing out there cannot be said to mean crisis in the political party that should warrant the defection of members of that political party.
“The members that have left the PDP for the APC do not have a good excuse or reason for which they have elected to so do. So, I have reason to conclude that these persons are not serving the interest of democracy.
“They, at every point in time, seem to be protecting their personal interest rather than the interest of their constituencies. They seem to be protecting their pockets. They seem to be protecting whatever monetary interests that may accrue to them as members of that particular house”, he argued.
Asked if he was excited to see the defectors move into the APC, the party stalwart said beyond swelling the numerical strength of the party and providing possible cover for the chief executive of the state, there was nothing useful to expect from them.
“If you look at the integrity of these persons, the question we will have to ask ourselves is ‘what do they really have to offer?
“These are persons who are coming to extract from the political party; they’re coming to extract from the executive arm of the government; they’re coming to benefit from where they did not work; they’re coming to rip off the state’s resources. So, it is not a good reason for me to rejoice for anything. They have nothing to offer”, he said.
By: Opaka Dokubo
The Tide source reports that the committee, reportedly backed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, is making moves to reclaim the Wadata Plaza headquarters months after it was sealed following a violent clash between rival factions of the party.
Senior officers at the FCT Police Command told our source that while they had not received an official briefing, police personnel would be stationed at the secretariat and other key locations to maintain peace.
The Acting National Secretary of the Mohammed-led committee, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, announced last week that the secretariat would reopen for official activities on Monday (today).
He dismissed claims that ongoing litigation would prevent the reopening, saying, “There are no legal barriers preventing the caretaker committee from resuming work at the party’s headquarters.”
However, the Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee (NWC) has fiercely rejected the reopening move, insisting that Sen. Anyanwu and his group remain expelled from the PDP and have no authority to act on its behalf.
Speaking with The Tide source, the committee’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, declared: “They are living in fool’s paradise. The worst form of deceit is self-deceit, where the person knows he is deceiving himself yet continues with gusto.
“Even INEC, which they claim has recognised them, has denied them. They are indulging in a roller coaster of self-deceit.”
Mr Ememobong further revealed that letters had been sent to both the Inspector-General of Police and the FCT Commissioner of Police, stressing that the matter was still in court and warning against any attempt to “resort to self-help.”
“The case pending before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik was instituted by the expelled members. They cannot resort to self-help until judgment is delivered,” he said.
He warned that reopening the secretariat would amount to contempt of court.
A senior officer at the FCT Police Command, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that officers would be deployed to the area to avert a repeat of the November 19 violence that led to the secretariat’s initial closure.
“The command would not stand by and allow a breakdown of peace and order by the party or anyone else. Definitely, the police will have to be on the ground,” he said.
Another officer added, “There will definitely be men present at the secretariat, but I can’t say the number of police officers that would be deployed.”
When contacted, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Josephine Adeh, said she had not been briefed on the planned reopening and declined to comment on whether officers would be deployed.
Asked to confirm whether the secretariat was initially sealed by police, she responded, “Yes,” but refused to say more about the current deployment plans.
The Kano State House of Assembly has debunked the purported impeachment plan against the Deputy Governor, Aminu Gwarzo.
The Tide source recalls that the Kano State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Ibrahim Waiya, recently sparked controversy during an interview session with a local radio station.
Mr Waiya called on the deputy governor to resign for failing to follow his principal, Gov. Abba Yusuf, in defecting from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kamaluddeen Shawai, while addressing journalists in Kano on Saturday, described reports circulating in some media outlets about Mr Gwarzo’s impeachment as baseless and misleading, emphasising that no such plan is underway.
Mr Shawai further stated that the House remains focused on its legislative duties and oversight functions rather than engaging in speculative political manoeuvres.
The spokesperson urged members of the public and the media to verify information before sharing it, stressing the importance of accurate reporting in maintaining political stability in the state.
He said, “There is absolutely no motion or initiative within the House to remove the deputy governor.
“These reports are false and should be disregarded by the public. The deputy governor continues to serve in his capacity with full support from the House.
“Our priority is good governance and serving the people of Kano, not circulating rumours.”
She made the declaration during an interview with Nigerian football legend, Mr Segun Odegbami, during a live radio interview on Saturday.
Prof. Obasanjo, who is also former commissioner in the state, ruled out a return to the Senate, stating that her focus was firmly on the governorship race.
“So, moving ahead, I’m not going to be Commissioner. Like I said, I’m not even going back to the same party because I think that’s old and I don’t see the use of it. And I’m not going to go back to the Senate,” she said.
“Like the Americans would say, there’s no need. And this is what I told my associates, when this all started. I said, the only thing I’ll come back to do is the governorship.
“And we have started that journey. We are going to see it through. And so that’s the journey I’m on. And we are very serious about it. I mean we are very dedicated to it.”
The politician also confirmed that she recently joined the APC, explaining that her return to active politics followed persistent calls from supporters.
“Like I told you, a group of people who I did not bring together, have been working, I think, for two years now. And then they started talking to me about a year ago, saying, ‘Look, we think you are the best candidate. We want you back,’” she added.
Her declaration sets the stage for what may become a keenly contested governorship race in Ogun State ahead of the 2027 elections.
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