What an Irony” – Lawmaker Loses Seat as Delta Assembly Wields Constitutional Hammer
Asaba, Delta – The Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday declared vacant the seat representing Udu State Constituency following the defection of Hon. Collins Egbetamah from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The decision was taken during plenary after Speaker read Mr Egbetamah’s resignation letter, dated 19 June 2026.
In the letter, the lawmaker informed the House that he had resigned his membership of the APC on 30 April 2026 to pursue his political aspirations. He did not, however, resign from the Assembly itself.
Constitutional Grounds
Shortly after the letter was read, Majority Leader Emeka Nwaobi moved a motion for the seat to be declared vacant. The motion was seconded by Deputy Speaker Arthur Akpowowo and adopted unanimously by the House.
Presenting the motion, titled “Consideration of the Letter from the Honourable Member Representing Udu State Constituency Pursuant to Section 109 of the Constitution,” Mr Nwaobi said documentary evidence before the House confirmed that Mr Egbetamah had joined the NDC while still serving as a sitting member of the Assembly.
This news outlet gathered that the Majority Leader anchored his argument on Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that a member of a legislative house shall vacate his or her seat if, having been elected on the platform of one political party, the member joins another party before the expiration of the tenure — except in circumstances expressly permitted by the Constitution.
Delta Assembly Speaker’s Declaration
Following the adoption of the motion, Speaker Guwor formally declared the seat vacant.
“Accordingly, this honourable house is satisfied that the constitutional requirements under Section 109 of the Constitution have been fulfilled. Therefore, pursuant to Section 109(1) and (2), I hereby declare the seat of the honourable member representing Udu State Constituency vacant with immediate effect,” the Speaker ruled.
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He directed the Clerk of the House to transmit the resolution to the Independent National Electoral Commission and other relevant authorities.
The Speaker also urged INEC to take the necessary constitutional steps to conduct a by-election to fill the vacant seat, in line with Section 116(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)
What Triggered the Defection
Sources familiar with the matter told our reporter that Mr Egbetamah’s defection was triggered by the outcome of the APC primary election, in which he was allegedly denied the party’s ticket for the Udu constituency.
The ticket, sources said, was awarded to another party member identified as DJ Ben.
Mr Egbetamah is known to be a staunch loyalist of former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, a dominant figure in Delta State politics.
“Collins is a diehard supporter and loyalist of Ovie Omo-Agege. He has been so disrespectful to the state governor and the system. Due to his support to Omo-Agege, he was denied the APC ticket in the last primaries and the ticket was given to DJ Ben,” a source told SaharaReporters.
“As a result of that, he decided to resign from the APC to join the NDC. He left to join his boss, Omo-Agege, but unfortunately, his seat has been declared vacant. Politics in Delta State is something else.”
Irony Noted
The decision to declare the seat vacant has not been without criticism.
A former principal officer of the House of Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed to what he described as the selective application of the law.
“Those who defected from PDP to APC without anyone sanctioning them are the same people sanctioning a member who defected from APC to another political party, the NDC. What an irony,” the former officer said.
What Happens Next
INEC is now expected to announce a timetable for a by-election in Udu State Constituency. The electoral commission has not yet issued a public statement on the matter.
The development is likely to intensify political manoeuvring in Delta State as parties prepare for the 2027 general elections.
