Former Senator Ita Enang stated that lawmakers who defected from their parties without a recognized division have forfeited their seats in Nigeria's National and State Assemblies. He emphasized the clarity of the Constitution on this matter during an address in Abuja. Enang also criticized the government's use of 2025 revenue to fund 2024 budget projects.
Senator Ita Enang, a former lawmaker and presidential aide, addressed Senate correspondents at his Ibom Chambers in Abuja on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. He asserted that all lawmakers who switched parties without a legally recognized division have lost their seats in both the National Assembly and State Assemblies.
“The Constitution is clear: if there is no court-declared division and you leave your party, you lose your seat — whether or not it has been formally declared vacant,” Enang said. He added that the Supreme Court has ruled that such defectors must refund all salaries and allowances received after defecting.
Enang attributed the increase in defections to the failure of opposition parties to function as stable institutions, rather than any actions by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or the Tinubu administration. “Nigeria is not becoming a one-party state through any machination of the APC or the Tinubu administration,” he declared. He explained that many opposition parties collapse due to internal crises, court orders, or being bought out, leaving politicians to join the only viable party.
Shifting to fiscal policy, Enang criticized the Federal Government's decision to extend the 2024 budget's capital component to December 31, 2025, using 2025 revenue. With only 56 days remaining in the 2024 budget cycle, he argued this practice distorts accountability. “Each year’s revenue should fund that year’s expenditure. Projects not completed in 2024 should have been rolled over and captured in the 2025 budgetary provisions,” he stated.
Enang acknowledged the government's revenue shortages and reliance on borrowing to cover deficits but stressed that borrowing provisions in Appropriation Acts are lawful. He noted that fiscal strain arises from inadequate funds to meet obligations.