Kogi lawmakers return to ANPP to avert losing seats

Category: Inside politics Published on Wednesday, 30 January 2013 05:00

The two Kogi lawmakers that defected from the All Nigerian Peoples Party, (ANPP), to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have returned to their former parties to frustrate efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections for the seats which was earlier declared vacant by their colleagues.

Barrister Henry Ojuola and Folusho Daniel defected from the ANPP last year while some members of the House at the heat of the crisis that rocked the Assembly last year declared their seats vacant.

Receiving the lawmakers yesterday in Lokoja, ANPP state chairman, Patrick Daudu said with their return, the party is well positioned to win overwhelmingly in the forthcoming local government elections in the state.

He called on the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to ensure a level playing ground for all the political parties in the council election.

He said their defection to other parties last year was in error and a clear violation of the provisions of the electoral law 2007 as amended, saying that the party has given the two members 30 days ultimatum to either return to the party or have their seats declared vacant.

The returnee members in their separate address said without credible opposition there would be no meaningful development.

Earlier, the minority leader in the Kogi state House of Assembly, Yori Afolabi, and a member of the ANPP, called on all the members to continue to support the programmes of the party.