Two members of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) throwing the House of Representatives into an uproar.

During the Wednesday plenary, there was a rowdy session in the house when Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila read the defection letters of Ephraim Nwuzi (Etched/Omuma Federal Constituency of Rivers) and David Abel (Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency of Taraba) to the ruling party.

Nwuzi, who was present at the plenary, was officially received by the APC House leader, Ado Doguwa, while Abel was absent.

Speaker Gbajabiamila, however, ruled-out the defection of Abel since he was not present, saying his defection would be taken on the next legislative day.

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However, the PDP heads objected to the continued stay of the members in the House and asked the Speaker to declare their seats vacant.

Minority Leader of PDP, Ndudi Elumelu, raised a constitutional order saying such defection can only be allowed if there was a crisis in the party.

He said: “The member whose letter has just been read is from Rivers State and I am aware that there is no crisis in the PDP in Rivers State. As a result of that, we are demanding that the seat be declared vacant”.

Deputy Minority Leader, Tobi Okechukwu said: “This country is based on law and due process. It is clear that our colleagues who wrote to defect are simply quoting the charisma of the Speaker.

“The law says there must be a crack in the party on whose platform the member was elected and in the absence of that, such a member should lose his seat. The Speaker must obey the constitution and ask those defecting to vacate their seat”.

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Leader of the PDP caucus in the House, Kingsley Chinda, said the law was very explicit on the defection of members, adding that the Speaker swore to uphold the constitution and the law.

He informed the Speaker he was on trial, stressing his decision on the issue would go a long way to save democracy, insisting however that there are several decisions of the court on the issue of defection.

Chinda, quoting the supreme court, said any lawmaker who defects to another political party other than one on whose platform he was elected shall have his seat vacant and the speaker should uphold the rule 

He said the Speaker has yet another opportunity to uphold the rule of law saying “if you fail to uphold the law, it is either an act of cowardice or a deliberate refusal to uphold the law.”

Responding to this, Gbajabiamila said: “When I was Minority Leader, I said exactly the things you are saying now when we lose members to your party and you shouted me down.

“You must look at the combined reading of section 60 of the constitution and our House rules. It is in the rules of the House that people can cross and you sanctioned it. You have said I should do the right thing which I will do.”

Referring to provisions of section 68 of the Constitution when a member’s seat can be declared vacant, he said: “You are aware of a particular member of your party that has not been present on the floor of this House since we started seating. Should I declare his seat vacant?”

Elumelu fired back: “Mr Speaker, you have just made an allegation. Maybe we should ask the Clerk of the House to bring the attendance register for verification”.

The Speaker said: “If we do that, your party will suffer more because we are not talking about one person here. In any case, as you told me when I was Minority Leader, your points are noted”.