By Sunday Apah
The Delta State House of Assembly on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 officially declared the Udu State Constituency seat, previously held by Hon. Collins Egbetamah, vacant.
The decision followed Egbetamah’s departure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his subsequent affiliation with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
The declaration was initiated by a motion from the House Leader, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi, and seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo.
The motion received unanimous approval during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Dennis Guwor.
Speaker Guwor stated that the seat was declared vacant in accordance with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.
He instructed the Clerk of the House to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of this resolution.
“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,” Guwor stated.
This quote emphasizes the legal basis for the House’s decision, confirming that all necessary constitutional conditions for declaring the seat vacant due to a party defection were met.
Guwor further directed the Clerk to transmit the resolution to INEC and other pertinent authorities.
He requested that INEC undertake the necessary constitutional steps to organize a by-election to fill the vacancy, as stipulated by Section 116(2) of the Constitution.
Presenting the motion, titled “Consideration of the Letter from Honourable Member Representing Udu State Constituency Pursuant to Section 109 of the Constitution,” Hon. Nwaobi highlighted that documents before the House confirmed Egbetamah’s defection from the APC to the NDC while still serving his term.
He referenced Section 109(1)(g), which mandates that a member must relinquish their seat if they join another political party after being elected under the banner of a different party, unless specific constitutional exceptions apply.
Earlier, the Speaker had read Egbetamah’s resignation letter, dated June 19, 2026. In the letter, Egbetamah informed the House that he had resigned from the APC on April 30, 2026, to pursue his political ambitions, and expressed gratitude to the APC and its stakeholders for their support.
