The 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but have since chosen to defect to the All Progressives Party (APC) have been advised to respectfully hang their gloves as members of the State Assembly, and pursue their new love in APC as ordinary members of the party.
The Member representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Uche Harris Okonkwo, in a statement, stated that the poor script emanating from the defected former Rivers State Assembly members “is a grievous new level of assault on the integrity of our democracy and operational sanctity of our constitution.”
Okonkwo, who is not affiliated with either the PDP or APC, described the embattled lawmakers’ move as a “grievous new level of assault on the integrity of our democracy and operational sanctity of our constitution.”
The lawmaker argued that the intent of the law is clear – that legislators who defect to another party less than a year into their term should not be allowed to retain their seats.
He urged the defected Rivers Assembly members to “respectfully hang their gloves as Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and pursue their new love in APC as ordinary members of the Party.”
Okonkwo further lamented the spread of such “bad conduct” across Nigeria’s political landscape, citing recent reports of Labour Party legislators defecting to the PDP.
He warned that the “excessive executive manipulation” behind these defections is a “tragic slur” on Nigeria’s democracy that must be addressed.
He said “let’s be clear about this, I am neither a member of the PDP, nor APC, so I can’t be “beneficiary or loser” in this dog fight for supremacy in Rivers State, but as an Honourable lawmaker just as they were before defection.
“I feel personally scandalized that the solemn institution of the legislature is being so defaced and abused, in a manner close to the gutter of impunity. The intent of the law is always clear from the letters of it, and never endorsed that, less than a year of swearing an oath to defend the Constitution as members of the hallowed legislature of your State.
“You can carry the trophy of the Party that gave you their ticket to donate to another Party arbitrarily and selfishly, without consequences.
“ Honour should have supremacy over bravado, and politicians should stop increasing the poverty of honour in the corridors of politics and leadership, if we truly wish this country well.
“ Therefore, my simple reading of it is that, If those Legislators suddenly became so lovestruck by APC attraction, so be it, but certainly not with what belonged to another.
“That victory was for PDP, not APC, and it’s amazing how so much drama is being invested to polish a bad conduct that ordinarily should be scorned.
“Just the other day too, I heard that about five Labour Party Legislators stealthily defected to PDP, as part of a desperate trade off to donate Majority House to the Governor and his party, PDP.
“That is how easy bad conduct spreads. Leaders should be careful before citizens are fed up, because the excessive executive manipulation of situations which most times, lacks no art nor sense, is a tragic slur in our current longest democracy experience that has enjoyed twenty five unbroken reign.
“That’s a real dark alley in our body politics, which we should all unite by conversion or practice, to clean, rinse and shine. If we ever hope to earn and appreciate what we profess and aspire to, respect to our constitution and obedience to the rule of law is not negotiable.”
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