Kwara PDP Raises Alarm Over Alleged Plot to Suspend Defecting Lawmakers

 

The Kwara State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi, of allegedly plotting to suspend two lawmakers who recently defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the opposition party.

The party, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its State Publicity Secretary, Olusegun Olusola Adewara, described the alleged move as political persecution and warned that suspending the lawmakers over their political affiliation would deprive their constituents of effective representation.

The affected lawmakers are Olushola Odetundun, representing Irepodun State Constituency, and Saba Yisa Gideon, representing Edu State Constituency.

Both lawmakers recently joined the PDP and secured the party’s tickets to contest the forthcoming rerun elections after receiving waivers from the PDP State Working Committee in accordance with the party’s rules.

The PDP said it had received reports alleging that Governor AbdulRazaq directed the Speaker to commence proceedings against the lawmakers because of their decision to leave the APC.

“If true, our party considers such a move a dangerous descent into political intolerance and an unacceptable attempt to weaponise the legislature against elected representatives whose only apparent offence is the exercise of their political choice,” Adewara said.

The party urged the governor and Speaker to abandon any plan to suspend the lawmakers, arguing that changing political parties does not, in itself, constitute misconduct in the discharge of legislative duties.

According to the PDP, Odetundun and Saba remain elected representatives of Irepodun and Edu constituencies and should be allowed to perform their constitutional responsibilities without intimidation, harassment or political persecution.

The opposition party acknowledged the constitutional powers of the House of Assembly to regulate its internal affairs under Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution, but stressed that such powers must be exercised within the limits of the Constitution and democratic principles.

“It will be quite ridiculous if the proposed suspension is being contemplated merely because the two lawmakers have defected to the PDP,” the party said.

It warned that any suspension based solely on their defection would amount to using legislative authority to settle partisan political scores while denying the people of the two constituencies their voices on the floor of the Assembly.

The PDP also challenged Danladi, who is the APC governorship candidate, to demonstrate political tolerance and respect for opposition voices as he seeks to lead the state.

“For the Speaker, who is now seeking to become Governor of Kwara State on the platform of the APC, this is an opportunity to demonstrate whether he truly understands the responsibilities that come with leadership in a democratic society,” the statement said.

The party maintained that a prospective governor of a politically diverse state must be willing to tolerate dissent, respect opposition and protect democratic institutions.

It consequently called on AbdulRazaq and Danladi to immediately drop any alleged plan to suspend Odetundun and Saba over their membership of the PDP.

The party warned that it would deploy “every lawful and constitutional means” available to challenge any action it considers capable of undermining democracy or disenfranchising the people of Irepodun and Edu State Constituencies.