PDP chieftain wants Kwara Speaker to declare Oke Ero seat vacant
Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara, Alhaji Hakeem Lawal, has asked the Speaker, House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ali Ahmad to declare the seat of Oke Ero constituency in the state House of Assembly vacant.
Lawal said this on Tuesday during an interview with our Correspondent in Ilorin. According to him, since the member representing the constituency in the House was dead, the Speaker should notify the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) to start processes for the bye-election.
"The Speaker should notify INEC of the death of the member so that it can fix a date for the bye election," Lawal added. It may be recalled that Hon Moses Afolayan representing Oke Ero constituency in the State House of Assembly died in December last year after a brief illness.
According to Lawal, it is mandatory for the State House of Assembly to notify the electoral body to declare the seat vacant within the time stipulated in the 1999 constitution. "INEC should declare the seat vacant to enable political Parties interested in contesting the seat start preparing for the bye election," Hakeem Lawal said.
Lawal said it was an infringement of the rights of the people in the constituency to continue to deny them of having adequate representation in the State House of Assembly. "The Speaker of the House of Assembly has the constitutional duty to formally inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the dead of any member," he added.
Lawal said PDP would not accept the repeat of what happened in Kaiama in 2014 when a member representing Kaiama/Kemanji/Wajibe constituency, Hon Idris Haliru died and the Ex- Speaker, Rt. Hon Razaq Atunwa refused to notify INEC. "INEC cannot do anything until the Speaker of the House formally declares the seat vacant and inform INEC of the death of the member," Lawal added.
Lawal said PDP was prepared and ready to contest the bye election in Oke Ero Constituency. According to him, APC is jittery of losing the seat to PDP in a bye election hence the reason the Speaker was dragging foot to notify INEC.
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