The Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the seat of Senator Joshua Dariye in the Senate vacant.
Dariye had on Thursday in the Senate announced his defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, citing the lingering leadership crisis in the party as reason.
In a statement by the party’s Deputy Chairman in the state, Amos Gombi, on Friday in Jos, the PDP urged INEC to immediately conduct fresh election for Dariye’s Plateau Central Senatorial District seat.
It said the fresh election would be in accordance with section 68, sub-section one of the 1999 Constitution as amended since Dariye had abandoned the party on which platform he contested and won the election.
The statement said: “In 2015, Sen. Dariye contested and was elected on the platform of the PDP as senator, representing Plateau Central Senatorial Zone.
“But, by leaving the party, he cannot under this circumstance, lawfully and legally retain his seat as representative of the people in accordance with section 68 sub-section 1 of the 199 Constitution as amended.
“We strongly condemn this act and demand that he should honourably resign and vacate his seat as senator representing Plateau Central, haven become a member of another party before the expiration his tenure.
“So, we categorically call on INEC to immediately declare his seat vacant and conduct fresh election to replace him.”
The party denied any division or crisis in its ranks and called on its supporters to disregard such insinuations.
It urged the supporters and members to remain steadfast in their loyalty, saying that Dariye’s exit would do no harm to its popularity.
