Any Lawmaker Who Defects Will Lose Their Seat - INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it invoke the relevant section of the amened 1999 constitution if any lawmaker leaves his/her political party on which platform the lawmaker was elected, before the expiration of the tenure.

The Deputy Director, Public Affairs of INEC, Nick Dazang, yesterday said that the constitution is
clear on the position the commission will take in such situation.
Dazang said the provision is specific on what happens if a lawmaker leaves from one political party to another.
Section 109 (g) of the amened 1999 Constitution states that, a member of the legislature shall vacate his seat in the House if “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 of which that House was elected.”
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The section also, gives a provison, that: “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.”
Last year the Supreme Court, reportedly ruled that a member of House of Representatives representing Akure North/South Federal Constituency of Ondo State should vacate his seat for defecting from Labour Party (LP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).