Niger Assembly Declares Ex-APC Lawmaker’s Seat Vacant

Lawmaker Revealed He Left The Party Because Of Untold Hostility

Danladi Iyah, the lawmaker representing Tafa constituency, has seen his seat in the Niger House of Assembly on Wednesday declared vacant.

The decision to leave the All Progressive Congress was revealed in a letter that was read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Alhaji Ahmed Marafa.

He stated that his reason for leaving the party was due to ‘untold hostility’ during the period of his membership in APC.

He explained that the hostility snowballed into his suspension in June 2018 and all efforts to get the suspension lifted were futile and claimed he was not given a fair hearing.

The decision to declare his seat vacant was sequel to a letter sent to the House by the State Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Jibril Imam, backed by a motion moved by Bala Abba (Borgu, APC) and seconded by Mohammed Haruna (Bida II, APC).

Abba noted that constitutionally, a member could only leave his party if there was a division, adding that the reason given by the lawmaker for his resignation from the APC was not tenable.

“The only ground on which a member can leave his party is if there is a division within that party.

“And since there is no division in the APC and he is leaving, his seat should be declared vacant,’’ he added.

The seat of the lawmaker through a voice vote was thereafter declared vacant.

The embattled lawmaker while speaking on the decision of the house stated that he would take legal action to challenge the decision.

He said that there was division at the national and local governnment levels of the party and it was a ground for him to leave the party.

Iyah wondered on why the decision was taken without him formally writting the house, but had only notified them of his resignation.

His statement revealed that the letter read on the floor of the house was the one he wrote to his party at the Local Government, which was taken to the house without his knowledge.