The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has stated that the seat of the senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, could be declared vacant if he is no longer a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Bamidele made the comment during plenary on Thursday following the decision by Abaribe and eight other senators to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Earlier reports indicated that at least nine senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and APGA had switched their allegiance to the ADC.
The wave of defections has sparked debate within the Senate over the legality of such moves and their constitutional implications for the affected lawmakers.
Responding to the development, Bamidele maintained that the Constitution clearly outlines what should happen when lawmakers abandon the political parties under which they were elected.
“I’m not just a lawyer; by the grace of God, I’m a life bencher. I understand this law and what it says. Section 68(1b) anticipated a situation like the one Senator Abaribe is facing today,” he said.
According to him, the law allows for a lawmaker’s seat to be declared vacant if circumstances arise that would have made the individual ineligible to contest the election under the party that sponsored them.
“It refers to any other circumstance, including situations involving a political party that would have made you ineligible for election as a member. The provision is very clear,” Bamidele added.
Despite his stance, the Senate Leader urged Abaribe to reconsider his decision and withdraw the letter notifying the Senate of his defection.
“Let us give Senator Abaribe the opportunity to retract his letter so we can determine how best to manage the situation and retain him in this chamber,” he said.
Bamidele further argued that the Senate cannot accommodate lawmakers who are not aligned with either the majority or minority caucuses.
“Right now, he does not belong to any political party. He is neither part of the majority nor the minority bloc, unless we intend to create a third aisle for those who belong to neither side, which the Constitution does not permit,” he said.