Lagos PDP to declare defected lawmakers seat vacant, backs Makarfi

THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Lagos State has initiated the process of declaring vacant, seats of six of its members who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Lagos State House of Assembly. *Salvador The party also expressed its support for the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee, saying that the party is working as one in the state.

 Members of the party, at its General Assembly meeting held Thursday in Lagos, unanimously adopted a motion affirming the leadership of Makarfi as the leader of the party. Speaking at the assembly, the party’s state publicity secretary, Mr. Taofik Gani, said the party is already initiating the process of declaring the seats of six of its members who defected to the APC, in the Lagos State House of Assembly. Gani said: “We are doing our homework and we are going to make our formal application to the necessary authorities for their seats to be declared vacant. We want them to come and test their popularity in their various constituencies. “If truly they are popular they should vacate their and not even contest their seats that will be declared vacant in court but come out to come and test their popularity in an election.” He, however, affirmed the party’s unalloyed support for the Makarfi-led caretaker committee noting that “in Lagos State we are one.” “There is no faction in Lagos State and we are all working as one as the local government election is coming up”, he added. In his remarks, state chairman of the party, Mr Moshood Salvador, stressed that the leader of the party in the state, Chief Bode George, the entire state executive and members of the party are solidly behind Senator Markarfi appointed as the caretaker chairman of the party. Salvador said: “The entire party structures in the state including our leader, Chief Bode George are solidly behind Ahmed Makarfi, who was appointed as caretaker chairman of the party in Port Harcourt last year.” He further stated that part of the new amendment would restrict state electoral commission from conducting local government elections without providing a level playing ground. The party chairman commended the National Assembly for accepting E-voting in the new amendment of the Electoral Act saying“the new electoral amendment is cheering news to those of you who are aspiring to contest the forth coming local government election and the 2019 general elections in the country.” The chairman disclosed that though the party suffered a political setback in Ibeju-Lekki local government area, the differences have been resolved as the party structure at the council level is in place