Defections: Threat To Democracy – HURIWA

By Ayodele Oni

Pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA) has cried out that democracy is in danger going by the massive defections of politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Describing the trend as unprecedented, HURIWA pointed out that this could be a potent and attractive tool for anti-democratic forces to overthrow constitutional democracy.

“We are sounding a strong note of warning and a profound caution to Nigeria’s legislators to comply with the constitutional provisions on defections, stop the current political insanity represented by their unbridled cross-carpeting from their original parties into the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

“This anti-constitutional practice by the politicians constitute a dangerous threat to Multiparty democracy, even as this politically sinister tendency of defecting from their parties to the ruling party could provide the needed motivation and elixir for coupists to attempt to torpedo democracy.

In another massive political shift on Wednesday, three senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) during plenary at the Senate chamber, National Assembly, Abuja.

The association stated that “several of these current law makers in the 10th session of the National Assembly have similarly and shamelessly abandoned the political parties under which they won the mandates of the constituents to get to the National Assembly, but have left halfway illegally into the ruling political party: APC.”

The Rights group, through the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko said the law provides that those who defected from their political parties should loose their seats in the legislature.

HURIWA decried what is becoming a defining feature of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic politics, defections in the National Assembly, which the Rights group believes has continued to reshape the legislative landscape.

“HURIWA expressed disappointment because these defections raise critical constitutional questions. Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution clearly states that a lawmaker must vacate their seat if they defect without a valid justification, such as party division or merger. Yet in practice, enforcement is rare.

“Lawmakers often blamed factional crisis as cover, and courts are slow or politically reluctant to rule on such cases.

“HURIWA recalled that at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023, the APC held 179 seats in the House of Representatives, while the PDP held 117.

“Following the wave of defections, court rulings and the replacement of deceased members, the APC has grown to 207 Members, while PDP’s numbers have declined to 92, further consolidating APC’s majority in the lower chamber.”

HURIWA accused the defecting legislators, who are breaking the law wantonly, of working to undermine democracy, because their direct affront to the provisions of the constitution is a direct invitation of a military coup.