Former aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Umar Ardo, from Adamawa state, has called on Senate President Ahmad Lawan to immediately declare the seat of Senator Elisha Abbo, who Wednesday defected to All Progressives Congress (APC), vacant.
He warned the Senate President not to imperil the nation’s democracy due to partisan interest as the constitution was clear on the status of any one that defects to another political party and the consequences thereof.
Dr Ardo who was reacting to the defection of Senator Abbo from the PDP to the APC said that the best thing for the Senate President to do with the defection of Senator Abbo was to without hesitation declare the senator’s seat vacant.
In a statement, Ardo who is a chieftain of the PDP from Adamawa state said, “Given the expressed provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution of the FRN 1999 (as amended), and the clear interpretation of this provision by the Supreme Court, the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, owes the Nigerian State the inalienable duty to declare Senator. Elisha Abbo’s seat vacant in deference to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a consequence of the latter’s defection from the PDP to the APC.
“Having sworn an oath to “protect and defend the constitution”, the Senate President is duty bound by his oath to so declare if he is not to fall guilty of aiding and abating the disparaging of the constitution by the senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“If the constitution, the law, rules and regulations can be compromised on the alter of political interest, then our democracy, nay our society, is imperiled by the legislature itself, the most critical element of democracy. No political interest can supersede the constitution without threatening the very survival of our country as a democratic nation governed under law”.
He said that there was a clear interpretation of this provision by the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Hon. Ifedayo Sunday Abegunde vs Ondo State House of Assembly & others (2015)8NWLR, (part 1461); or 2015) LPELR- 24588 of the Supreme Court.
According to Ardo, “the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, owes the Nigerian State the inalienable duty to declare Senator Abbo’s seat vacant in deference to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as a consequence of the latter’s defection from the PDP to the APC. Having sworn an oath to “protect and defend the constitution”, the Senate President is duty bound by his oath to so declare if he is not to fall guilty of aiding and abating the disparaging of the constitution by the senate.
.The PDP according to a reaction from the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said, “He is fully aware of the constitutional implication of his decision to defect to another party; which is that he cannot continue to occupy the seat of the PDP in the Senate.
“The place of any Senator who changed parties except on the grounds provided by the Constitution is very clear and the PDP will not allow Senator Abbo to run away with our mandate. It is impossible.”
He further said that the PDP had already commenced processes for his replacement with a credible, stable and acceptable person, to take over his seat in the Senate.
