Mark Jacob, a former National Legal Adviser for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on Douye Diri to vacate his seat as Governor of Bayelsa State.
The lawyer’s call to Governor Diri comes on the heels of his resignation as a member of the PDP.
Jacob, while speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Tuesday said it is unconstitutional for an individual to occupy the seat of governor without a political party.
Recall that last week, Governor Diri failed to state which political party he was defecting to when announcing his resignation from the PDP.
However, since his announcement, there have been speculations that Diri would toe the line of his colleague in Enugu State, Peter Mbah by joining the All Progressives Congress.
Diri’s indecisiveness has also continued to spark political debates, with several analysts and politicians arguing the legality of his status and current position as governor of Bayelsa State.
For Jacob, the governor would not have had the opportunity to contest and win the governorship election in Bayelsa State without the PDP and its structure.
The lawyer while insisting that Diri vacates his seat, blamed the weak provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the reluctance of the judiciary in allowing illegality among the political class.
He said, “Without the PDP, Governor Diri would not have contested the election at all. The people of Bayelsa have the right to question his continued occupation of that office because they are the ones who voted. If their governor is now without a political party, he ought to vacate that seat.”
Jacob also expressed concerns over how several institutions in the country are constantly being rubbished by politicians while the courts look the other way, appearing helpless due to the wording of the constitution.
Decrying the flippant jumping of parties by politicians without any form of repercussion, Jacob said defections should not be effected without conditions and possible sanctions.
He added, “We have a situation where politicians are enjoying themselves. They run to this market today and run to the other one tomorrow, and nothing appears to happen. Nobody seems to be in a position to control the political class anymore. They can do as they wish, and nothing will happen.
“Politicians move freely from one party to another without consequence. Nobody seems able to control the political class anymore,” he said.
The PDP lawyer further noted that this trend if not addressed will continue to undermine the nation’s democratic principles and accountability thereby giving individuals the opportunity to become bigger than the political parties, the courts and the electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).