A former spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Sylvester Imonina, has called on Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North (Anioma) Senatorial District, to vacate his seat in the Senate following his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Imonina made this demand in an interview with Vanguard, insisting that Nwoko’s decision to switch political allegiance should also mean he relinquishes the mandate he won under the PDP.
He said, “While I concede to the fact that Sen. Ned Nwoko has the right to associate with anyone, group of people, and/or political group of his choice, his defection is an affront to Section 68 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
“The proviso to the said section does not help him in any way because PDP does not have factions at the state or national levels; PDP does not have a different state, National Working Committee, or executive committee. The only issue at the national level is political differences between two people laying claim to the position of the National Secretary of the party.
“The Court of Appeal had given legal imprimatur to the removal and/or cessation of the former secretary; now that Ned Nwoko has defected to the APC, the honorable thing for him is to vacate his seat at the National Assembly.
“The votes that took him there belong to PDP, not APC. If he does not vacate the seat, I urge PDP to put machinery in motion for his removal. The action of Ned Nwoko is against constitutional democracy, and the same should not be allowed to stand.
“Also, what he had done is a political coup’ d’état against the majority of his constituents who believe in PDP programs and leadership style.”