Backlash Trails Abia Lawmaker’s  Dumping Of PDP, As Calls On INEC To Declare Chris Nkwonta’s Seat Vacant 

The leadership of the Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare vacant, the seat of the federal lawmaker representing Ukwa East/West federal constituency, Hon. Chris Nkwonta.

This is even as some of the constituents of the defected lawmaker have questioned the rationale behind the decision of their representative to dump the PDP.

Some of them, including Mr. Okere Timothy claimed that the people were yet to see any project the lawmaker has attracted to the people that he represents.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Tajudeen Abbas on Wednesday (yesterday), during the sitting of the House of Reps, announced the decision of Nkwonta to defect to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

But the leadership of the party in the state, on whose platform Nkwonta was elected into the House of Representatives on Wednesday in a statement issued by Jude Ndukwe, Media Adviser to Abia PDP Caretaker Committee has kicked against such move and called on the INEC to declare the Ukwa East/West federal constituency seat vacant.

According to the PDP, Nkwonta acted against Section 68(1)(g) and (2) of the Nigerian Constitution as amended, affirming that the party in the state was not facing any political crisis which could have justified Nkwonta’s decision to dump the party.

The PDP statement read “Following the defection of Hon Chris Nkwonta, the representative of Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, from the PDP to the APC on the floor of the House on Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024, the PDP in Abia State hereby calls on INEC to immediately comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution by declaring the seat vacant and conduct a new election within the constitutionally stipulated time to replace the defected Member.

“This call on INEC is for the electoral body to comply with the provisions of Section 68(1)(g) & (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) since Hon. Nkwonta’s defection did not meet the conditions precedent to the defection of a federal lawmaker as provided for by our laws.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 68(1)(g) states inter alia: “being a person whose election to the House was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected;

“Provided that his membership of the latter political party is not as a result of a division in the political party of which he was previously a member or of a merger of two or more political parties or factions by one of which he was previously sponsored.

“It is clear that the PDP has no factions either at the federal or state level, a situation which renders Nkwonta’s defection illegal.

“In view of the above, we call on INEC to conduct a new election to fill the now vacant Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency seat.”