Defection: Abia PDP asks INEC to declare Reps member, Nkwonta’s seat vacant

Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Independent Electoral National Electoral Commission, INEC, to immediately comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution by declaring vacant the seat of Chris Nkwonta, the representative of Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.

The call by the PDP was in response to Nkwonta’s defection from the PDP to the APC on the floor of the House on Wednesday.

A statement released by Jude Ndukwe, Media Adviser to the PDP Caretaker Committee in Abia, also asked INEC to conduct a new election within the constitutionally stipulated time to replace the defected member.

Ndukwe in the statement said: “This call on INEC is for the electoral body to comply with the provisions of Section 68(1)(g) & (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) since Hon. Nkwonta’s defection did not meet the conditions precedent to the defection of a federal lawmaker as provided for by our laws.”

Ndukwe said that there was no faction in the PDP either at the federal or state level, insisting that Nkwonta’s defection was illegal.

However, a former Chief of Staff to the Governor of Abia State, Don Ubani, who is a member of PDP from the Ukwa-East and Ukwa-West Federal constituency, defended the defection of their son, saying that “we mandated him to join APC”.