‘Defections are unconstitutional, illegal and wrong,’ says Senator Bassey

[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]

Chairman of the Cross River State Caucus in the National Assembly, Senator Gershom Bassey, has faulted the penchant for defections among politicians in the country, describing the trend as ‘unconstitutional.’

Senator Bassey who is a gubernatorial hopeful in the state further maintains that a situation where one occupies an elected position in a particular political party, such a person should resign from that position as he or she decamps because the constitution only allows cross carpeting where there is serious crisis or division in the party.  

Senator Bassey said: “I don’t think defections are healthy. I think they are unconstitutional, illegal and wrong. 

“It’s just that sometimes, people don’t bother to test these things where they should be tested but I think they are unconstitutional and the law does not allow it.

“If you are elected on the platform of one political party, you should leave the mandate when moving to another party.

“The mandate was given to the party and not to individuals and so if I want to leave my party to another, I should leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mandate behind and re-contest the election to get a fresh mandate on the platform of my new political party. 

“That is the way democracy, our electoral laws and our constitution are designed. I don’t think it is healthy at all”.

“People just move from one party to another even when there is no division and the problem is that nobody has gone to court. 

“The laws are clear but must be enforced. There is supposed to be a Supreme Court pronouncement on this but to the best of knowledge so far nothing is before them”, he said.

On the deplorable Calabar-Itu federal highway, Bassey who is also the Senate Committee Chairman on Federal Emergency Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) said the project has been awarded to three different contractors.

He stressed that with the recent approval by the Federal Executive Council, he expects the project to commence in earnest.

“The Calabar-Itu road has been awarded to three different companies; Julius Berger, one of the Chinese companies and recently to Sermatech. 

“The assurances that I have been given by the Minister of Works is that they were using Sukuk funds. They will make sure that they fund the dualization of that road. 

“Keeping true to his word, now that the contracts have been awarded and approved by the Federal Executive Council, I expect that the only issue left is for them to release funds to the contractors so that they can go back and start serious work on the road”.

On insecurity, he charged the federal government to improve the welfare and properly equip the security agencies so that they can properly secure the country.

He also called on the state government to make the report of the EndSARS Panel in the state public so that the people can all know what happened.

He also stressed that government should reach out to the victims of the protests through humanitarian support and  tax credits.