By Ghazali Ibrahim
The Kwara State House of Assembly has declared the seats of two lawmakers vacant after they defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.
The affected lawmakers are Saba Yisa Gideon, representing Edu Constituency, and Olusola Odetundun, representing Irepodun Constituency.
The decision followed a request by the APC State Chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, to the Speaker of the Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi.
Fagbemi cited Section 109(1)(g)(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides conditions under which a lawmaker may lose their seat after defecting from the political party on whose platform they were elected.
Leading the debate, the House Leader, Abdulkadir Oba Magaji, said the two lawmakers were elected on the APC platform and had defected to the PDP without any division within the APC.
He argued that their defection contravened the constitutional provision and supported the request for their seats to be declared vacant.
Other lawmakers, including Abolarin Ganiyu Gabriel, Ganiyu Folabi Salahu and Oguniyi David Sheun, also backed the move.
The Speaker subsequently declared the two seats vacant in accordance with the cited constitutional provision.
