The daughter of James Ibori, former governor of the Delta State, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, has justified her defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Ibori-Suenu represents Ethiope East/West Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.
Justifying her action, the lawmaker said she complied with the relevant constitutional provisions for defection, adding that the PDP had no reason to declare her seat vacant.
She argued her case in an affidavit she filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja to support of her originating summon.
The lawmaker cited internal crisis, rocking the PDP even before last year’s general election.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Clerk of the House and PDP as defendants we’re listed as defendants.
The affidavit read: “For over a year, the 3rd defendant has been enmeshed in a series of unresolved leadership crises at the national, which crisis has driven the party into two implacable camps.
“The 3rd defendant (PDP) started grappling with the internal strife before the 2023 presidential election, particularly after the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primaries conducted for the election of the party’s presidential candidate.
“Upon the selection of the party’s vice presidential candidate for the presidential election in 2023, the internal disputes in the political party deepened resulting in division amongst the National Working Committee and creation of the (G-5). That is, Nyesom Wike, Samuel Ortom, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Seyi Makinde and Okezie Ikpeazu (then governors of Rivers, Benue, Enugu State, Oyo and Abia states, respectively).
“Following the decision of a High Court which restrained lyorchia Ayu from acting as the party’s national chairman, an Acting National Chairman was appointed for the party.
“But his appointment generated massive discontent, which further divided the party at the national level.
“However, the division in the national leadership lingered due to the continued stay of the Acting National Chairman of the Party and the inability of the party to convene a meeting of its National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting for consideration of a replacement for the substantive National Chairman of the Party in compliance with Article 45(2) and 47(6) of the PDP Constitution (amended in 2017).
“Attached and marked Exhibit IB 2 is the PDP Constitution (amended in 2017).10. On October 11, 2024, the 3rd Defendant’s National Working Committee was embroiled in series of suspension and counter-suspensions amongst the members of the National Working Committee of the party.
“PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, announced on behalf of a faction of the National Working Committee that the Acting National Chairman, Iliya Umar Damagum and the National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, were suspended with the National chairman being replaced by Alhaji Yayari Mohammed, the PDP national treasurer.
“The same October 11, 2024, a statement was released by the PDP National Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorom, that the National Working Committee of the PDP had suspended its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, SAN, and that the party has established a committee, led by Deputy National Chairman (South) Taofeek Arapaja, to investigate the concerns raised against the officers in accordance with the party’s Constitution.
“The division in the party is evident in the call by supporters of the party’s 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, for the suspension of the former Rivers State Governor (and current Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and some others in his camp for anti-party activities, while the former Governor of Rivers State’s supporters had also made counter demands for disciplinary actions against the former vice president and his allies including Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu, former Governors of Jigawa and Niger states, respectively, amongst others, for anti-party activities.”
The lawmaker’s defection is not only interpreted as the waning of the influence of her father, Ibori, who governed Delta State from 1999 to 2007 but also a major blow to the PDP’s minority caucus, which has lost many members to defection of late.