The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, have strongly condemned the Delta State House of Assembly’s decision to declare the seat of Udu State Constituency lawmaker, Hon. Collins Egbetamah, vacant following his defection to the party.
In a statement signed by the Delta State Publicity Secretary of the NDC, McCollins Nwose, the party described the action as unconstitutional, unjust, politically motivated, and a dangerous threat to Nigeria’s democratic principles.
The NDC accused the Assembly of applying double standards, noting that lawmakers who previously defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) were allowed to retain their seats without facing similar sanctions.
According to the party, the mandate held by Hon. Egbetamah belongs to the people of Udu State Constituency and not to any political party. It argued that removing an elected representative solely because of political defection undermines the will of the electorate and violates constitutional provisions.
The party called on civil society organisations, democracy advocates, and the people of Delta State to reject what it described as a dangerous precedent capable of weakening constitutional democracy. It also reaffirmed its commitment to defending the democratic rights and mandate of the people.
Reacting separately, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege condemned the Assembly’s action, describing it as “hasty, arbitrary, oppressive, and illegal.”
In a statement personally signed on Wednesday, the Obarisi of Urhoboland said the removal of Hon. Egbetamah was driven by political considerations rather than constitutional compliance.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the reported decision of the Delta State House of Assembly to remove Hon. Collins Egbetamah, the duly elected representative of Udu State Constituency, without a fair hearing,” Omo-Agege stated.
“This was not constitutional housekeeping. It was a hasty, arbitrary, oppressive, and illegal act intended to achieve a political objective that disparages and injures the people of Udu, the wider Urhobo nation, and Delta State.”
Challenging the legal basis cited by the Assembly, Omo-Agege argued that Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution provides an exception where a lawmaker defects as a result of a division within the political party under which they were elected.
“The House relies on Section 109(1)(g) as if it admits of no exception. The Constitution provides an exception where a defection arises from a division in the original party. That question of fact was never examined in any legislative hearing, nor was there any judicial determination,” he said.
He further alleged that the matter was rushed because due process would not have produced the outcome desired by the Assembly.
“A mandate freely given by the people of Udu cannot be extinguished in a single sitting by voice vote. That is disturbing, disrespectful, and unacceptable. It was never the intention of the framers of our Constitution. We are not a Banana Republic,” Omo-Agege added.
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