A group of constituents of the Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency of Abia State has petitioned the Speaker of the House of Representatives, seeking the declaration of the seat occupied by Hon. Munachim Alozie representing Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency vacant over an alleged defection from the Labour Party (LP) to the Action Peoples’ Party (APP).
The petition, dated September 29, 2026 and signed by Comrade Monday Achibiri on behalf of the concerned constituents, invokes Section 68 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides circumstances under which a member of the National Assembly may lose his seat following a change of political party.
Alozie was elected in the February 25, 2023 General Elections on the platform of the Labour Party to represent the Obingwa/Osisioma/Ugwunagbo Federal Constituency.
The petitioners allege that the lawmaker subsequently defected to the APP in August 2026 and was formally received into the party at the Ugwunagbo LGA headquarters.
According to the petition, Alozie has also been listed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the APP candidate for the same federal constituency in the 2027 General Elections.
The petitioners further allege that the lawmaker has attended APP meetings and functions and participated in activities and campaigns associated with the party. They said photographs, video clips and social media publications documenting the alleged defection were attached to the petition as evidence.
A central plank of the petition is the allegation that Alozie has not formally notified the House of Representatives of his change of political affiliation.
The petitioners said they examined the Votes and Proceedings of the House from September 12, 2026, and claimed that they found no record of a formal notification by the lawmaker concerning his alleged defection.
They argued that such conduct amounts to a violation of Section 68 of the Constitution, particularly because, according to them, there has been no legally recognised division or merger within the Labour Party that could provide an exception to the constitutional provision.
The petition cites previous Supreme Court decisions, including Abegunde v. Ondo State House of Assembly and Dapianlong v. Dariye, in support of its argument that the substantive act of joining another political party is central to determining whether the constitutional provision has been breached.
The petitioners contend that the absence of a formal notification to the House does not, in their interpretation, cure an alleged constitutional breach.
They have therefore asked the Speaker to refer the matter to the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges for investigation and to invite Alozie to respond to the allegations.
They are also asking the House to declare the seat vacant if, after investigation, it determines that the constitutional requirements for such a declaration have been satisfied.
In addition, the petition asks that the Clerk of the House communicate any declaration of vacancy to INEC for the conduct of a bye-election to fill the seat.
The petition was copied to the Clerk of the National Assembly, the Chairman of INEC and the National Chairman of the Labour Party.
Among the documents listed as attachments are an INEC list containing the name of Alozie as an APP candidate, photographs and video evidence of his alleged defection, social media reports, and copies of voters’ cards belonging to some of the petitioners.
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