A representative of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives, Daniel Chollom, has defected to the All Progressives Congress, triggering a call from opposition lawmakers for his seat to be declared vacant. Chollom made his announcement on Tuesday, citing the leadership crisis within the LP and his desire to support President Bola Tinubu’s administration as the reasons behind his decision.
In a letter read aloud by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen during plenary, Chollom expressed that the internal conflicts in the Labour Party had made it difficult for him to align with any of the factions, thus hindering his ability to effectively represent his constituents. He stated that after careful consideration, he believes joining the APC would enable him to better serve his people and contribute to national development alongside the President.
While acknowledging the opportunities provided by the Labour Party, Chollom emphasized his commitment to working with the APC to deliver democratic benefits to Nigerians.
The defection, however, has not gone without criticism. Opposition lawmakers, including Deputy Minority Whip George Ozodinobi, have sharply condemned Chollom’s move. Ozodinobi labeled those defecting from the Labour Party as individuals lacking ideological commitment and expressed concern over the growing number of defections to the APC. He particularly objected to Chollom’s defection, stating that there was no leadership crisis within the Labour Party, and accused the defector of failing to fulfill his duties. Ozodinobi called for Chollom’s seat to be declared vacant, emphasizing that the lawmaker had been a member of the House for less than seven months and had failed to deliver significant contributions during that period.
Similarly, Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda criticized the defection process, stating that Chollom had not followed the proper procedures by resigning from the Labour Party at the ward level and submitting proof of such resignation before submitting his defection letter to the House. Chinda echoed Ozodinobi’s call for the seat to be declared vacant if the correct steps were not taken.
“Those defecting are people without ideology. I am worried by the rate of defection when there is no crisis in the Labour Party. I am very sorry for these members and I am very sorry for the APC because you will not earn their trust.
” I want to say that his seat must be declared vacant and we will do everything possible to ensure that is done,” Ozodinobi said.
