The All Progressives Grand Alliance in Abia State has called on the Senate to declare the seat of the Senator representing Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe, vacant following his resignation from the party.
The party made the call on Thursday during a press briefing in Umuahia, where its leadership, led by a former member of the Abia State House of Assembly, Obinna Ichita, insisted that Abaribe voluntarily resigned from APGA and was not sacked, contrary to his claim at the Senate.
Ichita argued that Abaribe’s exit from the party that sponsored his election violates constitutional provisions, stressing that there was no leadership crisis within APGA to justify his defection.
“The senator resigned in his ward. He did so voluntarily, which is his right. However, if you leave the party that gave you the platform for another party when there is no leadership crisis, that seat must be declared vacant,” he said.
He further alleged that Abaribe misrepresented the circumstances of his exit by claiming he was sacked.
“The party has documentary evidence to show that Senator Abaribe was not sacked. He resigned three months after disciplinary measures were taken against him over actions the court did not consider appropriate,” Ichita added.
According to him, the mandate belongs to the people and the party, not the individual office holder.
