Defection: Youths Urge Saraki To Declare Ogbuoji Seat Vacant

Defection: Youths Urge Saraki To Declare Ogbuoji Seat Vacant

By Joyce Onuora Abakaliki

Youths from Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency in Ebonyi

South senatorial zone, have called on Senate President, Bukola Saraki,

to declare the seat of their representative, Sen. Sonni Ogbuoji,

vacant for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All

Progressives Congress (APC), a platform which he wants to contest the

2019 governorship election in the state.

The position of the youths was contained in a communiqué issued after

its General Assembly meeting, in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital,

which was signed by its National President, Raymond Okoro and 23 other

members of the executives.

The group said the senator did not fulfill the conditions as required

by the amended 1999 Nigeria’s constitution before defecting to the

APC.

“This was even as they vowed that if the senate leadership fails to

declare the seat of Ebonyi south zone vacant, they would institute

legal action to achieve their aim; insisting however that the mandate

being held by the lawmaker belongs to their people.

“We call on the National Assembly leadership to declare the seat of

Ebonyi south Senatorial zone in the senate vacant.

“Our Senator flagrantly displayed his non-challant attitude, disregard

and disrespect for the constituency that gave him the majority of

votes that accorded him the privilege of having the mandate on the

platform of People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

“When he decamped to APC, he never consulted his constituents and did

not follow the required condition as enshrined in the constitution of

the Federal Republic of Nigeria before defecting to the APC.

“The constitution stipulates that you can only defect from one party

to another, only when your party is in crisis or there is a faction in

your party, which makes it impossible for you to function effectively

in your party and to the best of our knowledge, there is no faction in

PDP.

“If the senate leadership fails to declare the seat of Ebonyi south

zone vacant, we will have no option than to seek judicial

interpretation of constitutional provision for defection and

clarification of the mandates being held by National Assembly

members”, the communiqué partly read.

The youths, however, passed vote of confidence in Governor David Umahi

for his developmental strides even as they endorsed him for second

tenure.