A former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jacob Mark, has called on the Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, to vacate his office, citing his alleged non-membership of any political party.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Tuesday, Mark argued that Diri’s continued stay in office, following reports of his resignation from the PDP, is both “unconstitutional” and “illegal.”
“Without the PDP, Governor Diri would not have contested the election at all.
“Occupying that office without a political party is completely illegal. The people of Bayelsa have the right to question it. If their governor is now without a political party, he ought to vacate that seat, ” he said.
His comments come amid growing controversy surrounding Diri’s political affiliation, as speculation mounts over his reported exit from the PDP ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the state.
Mark criticised what he described as a constitutional vacuum that enables elected officials to defect from their parties without consequence.
“Institutional frameworks are being weakened by politicians, and the courts appear helpless because the Constitution’s wording allows candidates to abandon the parties that sponsored them with little or no repercussions,” he said.
Referencing Section 68 of the Constitution, which deals with defections in the National Assembly, Mark noted that even where the law was clear, enforcement remained weak.
“The Constitution provides that if a legislator defects without a justifiable reason such as a division within the party, the seat should be vacated. Yet, the courts have shown extreme reluctance to enforce that provision,” he said.
According to Mark, this legal ambiguity and judicial inaction have encouraged politicians to treat political parties as mere platforms for electoral access, rather than as ideological institutions.
“We now have a situation where politicians jump from one party to another at will. Nobody appears able to restrain them.
”They run this market today and another one tomorrow, and nothing happens,” he lamented.
He warned that such unchecked political behaviour not only weakens party structures but also undermines the democratic process.
“Individuals are becoming bigger than their parties, bigger than the courts, and even bigger than INEC.
”It’s as if they’re warlords in their own territories, taking decisions without accountability,” Mark said.
