Asaba — The decision by the Delta State House of Assembly to declare the seat of the member representing Udu State Constituency, Hon. Collins Egbetamah, vacant following his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has triggered widespread reactions across the state and beyond.
The House, presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, announced the vacancy on Tuesday, citing the lawmaker’s change of political party as the basis for the action.
The development has since generated heated debate among politicians, legal commentators and members of the public, with many questioning what they described as the selective application of constitutional provisions on political defections.
Several stakeholders argued that numerous elected officials in Delta State, including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and members of the State House of Assembly, had previously defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC without losing their seats.
Some critics maintained that if the House was relying on Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, then the provision should be applied uniformly to all lawmakers who defected from their political parties.
Others called on Hon. Egbetamah to challenge the decision in court, expressing confidence that the judiciary would determine the legality of the Assembly’s action.
Legal and political observers also pointed to previous defections across the country where no by-elections were conducted, arguing that constitutional exceptions relating to internal party crises and divisions have often been invoked in similar circumstances.
While some commentators defended the Assembly’s action, insisting that there was no known crisis within the APC to justify Egbetamah’s defection, many others described the declaration as unfair, politically motivated and inconsistent with past precedents in the state.
The controversy has further fueled discussions over the enforcement of constitutional provisions governing defections by elected public office holders, with many Nigerians calling for consistency in the application of the law regardless of political affiliation.
As of the time of filing this report, Hon. Collins Egbetamah had not publicly reacted to the declaration, while legal experts expect the matter could ultimately be decided by the courts.
