01, July 2026
The Delta State House of Assembly has declared the Udu State Constituency seat vacant after lawmaker Collins Egbetamah formally dumped the All Progressives Congress for the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
The decision was taken during plenary on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, with Speaker Emomotimi Guwor presiding. The Majority Leader, Emeka Nwaobi, moved the motion, it was seconded by Deputy Speaker Arthur Akpowowo, and it passed with unanimous support from members.
*Constitutional Grounds for the Vacancy*
Speaker Guwor said the House relied on Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution as amended. That section states that any lawmaker elected under one political party must vacate his seat if he defects to another party before his tenure ends, except where the Constitution provides a specific exemption.
> _“Accordingly, this Honourable House is satisfied that the constitutional requirements under Section 109 of the Constitution have been fulfilled. Therefore, pursuant to Sections 109(1) and (2), I hereby declare the seat of the Honourable Member representing Udu State Constituency vacant with immediate effect,”_ Guwor declared.
He directed the Clerk of the House to immediately notify the Independent National Electoral Commission of the resolution, and urged INEC to begin the constitutional process for a by-election in line with Section 116(2) of the Constitution. The Clerk was also asked to forward the decision to other relevant authorities.
*How the Matter Came Up*
While presenting the motion titled _“Consideration of the Letter from Honourable Member Representing Udu State Constituency Pursuant to Section 109 of the Constitution,”_ Nwaobi told the House that documents before lawmakers showed Egbetamah had left the APC for the NDC while still in office. He cited Section 109(1)(g) as the legal basis for asking the member to give up his seat.
Speaker Guwor then read Egbetamah’s resignation letter dated June 19, 2026. In it, the lawmaker said he had resigned from the APC on April 30, 2026, to pursue his political ambitions. He also thanked the APC and its stakeholders for the support he received while in the party.
With the seat now officially vacant, INEC is expected to announce a timetable for a by-election to fill the Udu State Constituency position in the Delta Assembly.
