The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the decision of the Delta State House of Assembly to declare the seat of Udu Constituency lawmaker, Collins Egbetanah, vacant, describing the action as unconstitutional, vindictive and politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Monday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Osa Director, the NDC alleged that the Assembly’s action was driven by political interests following Egbetanah’s defection to the party.
According to the statement, Egbetanah was originally elected into the Delta State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and was a minority lawmaker until Delta State Governor and several members of the Assembly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The party claimed that following the defections, Egbetanah was allegedly perceived as a political threat because he was an original APC member and remained loyal to former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege.
The NDC further alleged that for several months before his defection, Egbetanah was denied his salaries and entitlements by the Delta State House of Assembly.
The party said the lawmaker resigned from the APC on April 30, 2026, and joined the NDC, adding that his decision was met with what it described as “vindictiveness, political callousness and indignity” by the Delta State Government and the Assembly.
According to the statement, the Assembly subsequently declared Egbetanah’s seat vacant and pronounced him persona non grata, a move the NDC described as politically unprecedented and inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution.
The party argued that the declaration violated the lawmaker’s constitutional right to freedom of association and assembly.
It called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disregard what it described as an illegal declaration of vacancy and resist any attempt to give effect to the Assembly’s decision.
The NDC also disclosed that it would pursue legal action to challenge the development while urging the Delta State House of Assembly to allow Egbetanah to continue performing his constitutional duties as the elected representative of Udu Constituency.
The party maintained that it remains committed to ensuring that the people of Udu Constituency continue to enjoy effective representation and the dividends of democracy despite the ongoing political dispute.
