The Deputy Chief Whip of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Tonye Isenah, may lose his seat in the House, following his defection from the Labour Party to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Isenah, a member representing Kolokuma/Opokuma Constituency 1 and elected on the platform of the LP, was said to have resigned his membership of the party in a letter dated January 11.
He was said to have stated in his resignation letter, which he addressed to the Chairman of LP, that his experience in the party was splendid and satisfactory.
Isenah was said to have insisted that his decision to leave the party was not based on “feud, bitterness and deep-rooted despair”.
Our correspondent gathered that trouble the leadership of LP in the state took a decision to reclaim the seat on grounds that his action was against section 109 of the 1999 Constitution.
The state Chairman of the party, Mr. Johnny Ben, who confirmed the development in Yenagoa, said the party would explore constitutional means to retrieve the seat.
Quoting section 109 of the amended 1999 Constitution, Ben said, “ An elected member of the legislative House shall vacate his seat if he defects to another political party other than the party that he was elected, provided that there is no clear division or fragment within the party or a merger with any other party.”
Ben, in a statement, said Isenah did not base his decision on any of the reasons cited in the constitution.
He said, “There has never been record anywhere that Labour Party entered into any merger with any other political party. So there was no basis for his defection.
“The party has constituted a strong legal team to file a suit to the Federal High Court to ask the court to order the Speaker of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly to declare his seat vacant, in line with the provisions of the constitution.”