Kwara Assembly declares seats vacant for two defecting lawmakers

The Kwara State House of Assembly has declared the seats of two lawmakers vacant following their defection from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The affected members are Saba Yisa Gideon, representing the Edu State Constituency, and Olusola Odetundun, representing the Irepodun State Constituency.

The decision followed a formal request from the APC State Chairman, Sunday Fagbemi, who urged the Assembly to invoke Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution. Fagbemi argued that because there was no division within the APC, the lawmakers had no constitutional right to abandon the party for which they were elected. House Leader Abdulkadir Oba Magaji supported the move, noting that the lawmakers' intent to contest the 2027 elections under the PDP contravenes constitutional provisions regarding party membership during a tenure.

The PDP has criticized the move, describing it as “a dangerous descent into political intolerance” and an attempt to use the legislature to persecute elected representatives. Meanwhile, community leaders have urged the Assembly to handle the matter with caution to avoid triggering a wider political crisis in the state.