The Abia State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the Ukwa East/Ukwa West Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives vacant.
This comes after Chris Nkwonta, the representative, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) .
According to Jude Ndukwe, Media Adviser to the PDP Caretaker Committee in Abia, the party is requesting INEC to comply with the provisions of Section 68(1)(g) & (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Ndukwe emphasized that Nkwonta’s defection didn’t meet the required conditions for a federal lawmaker to switch parties .
The PDP also pointed out that there’s no faction within the party, either at the federal or state level, making Nkwonta’s defection illegal. They’re calling for a new election to replace the defecting lawmaker within the constitutionally mandated period.
