Kwara lawmakers lose seats after APC-to-PDP defection

The Kwara State House of Assembly has declared the seats of two lawmakers vacant after they abandoned the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The affected legislators are Saaba Issa Gideon of Edu State Constituency and Olusola Odetundun of Irepodun State Constituency.

Their seats were declared vacant during Tuesday’s plenary following a request from the Kwara APC Chairman, Sunday Fagbemi, who asked the Assembly to invoke the constitutional provision governing defection by elected lawmakers.

Fagbemi argued that the two legislators secured their mandates under the APC and therefore could not retain their seats after joining another political party.

He further contended that the defections did not qualify for the constitutional exception that permits lawmakers to change parties where there is a division within the party on whose platform they were elected.

The matter was debated on the floor of the House, with the House Leader, Oba Mogaji, maintaining that Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution restricted a legislator from belonging to another party during the subsistence of the member’s tenure.

Mogaji said the lawmakers had not only left the APC but were also seeking to contest the 2027 elections under the PDP, making their continued membership of the Assembly unconstitutional.

Other lawmakers, including Abolarin Gabriel, Ganiyu Folabi and Adato Oguniyi, supported the motion.

After the debate, Speaker Yakubu Danladi-Salihu announced that the seats had become vacant in accordance with the resolution of the House.

The decision, however, has triggered a political and legal confrontation between the ruling APC and the opposition PDP in the state.

The PDP rejected the declaration, accusing the Assembly of using its constitutional powers to settle a partisan dispute.

In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Adewara, the party questioned why the process was initiated through a letter from the APC state chairman rather than through an independent determination of the constitutional requirements.

The opposition party demanded that the Assembly disclose the evidence used to establish that the lawmakers had forfeited their seats and demonstrate compliance with Section 109(2) of the Constitution.

According to the PDP, the constitutional provision on defection cannot be applied automatically without satisfying the conditions stipulated by law.

It also argued that the Assembly should not rely solely on the position of the political party the lawmakers had left, describing such an approach as an attempt to turn the legislature into an instrument of party discipline.

The party urged the APC to seek electoral support from voters instead of attempting to remove elected lawmakers through parliamentary action.

The PDP also called on Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Speaker to protect the independence of the legislature.

It particularly urged Danladi-Salihu, who is the APC’s governorship candidate, to ensure that his political interests did not influence his duties as Speaker.

The party demanded that the Assembly reverse its decision, while signalling its readiness to challenge the action in court.

Adewara said the PDP would use every constitutional and legal avenue available to defend the lawmakers and their constituents.

The dispute follows the lawmakers’ decisions in late August to resign from the APC amid heightened political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.

Gideon cited concerns about the lack of internal democracy, fairness and inclusiveness within the APC, while Odetundun said his decision followed consultations with constituents and political stakeholders.

Odetundun said the defection was aimed at repositioning his political alignment in accordance with the interests of his constituents.

Gideon had previously faced disciplinary action from the Assembly after being suspended for three months over alleged contempt. The suspension was later struck down by a Kwara State High Court, which declared it unconstitutional.

The latest development also comes amid a broader shift in Kwara politics following the defection of Senator Saliu Mustapha, representing Kwara Central, from the APC to the PDP.

Mustapha has subsequently emerged as the PDP’s candidate for the Kwara Central senatorial seat in the 2027 election.