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A former National Legal Advisor for the Peoples Democratic Party, Mark Jacob, has stated that Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri should step down from his position, allegedly due to no longer being a member of any political party.

Jacob made the statement on Tuesday during an interview with ARISE News, as tensions increased over reports of Governor Diri’s resignation from the PDP.

PUNCH Online stated that Diri announced his resignation from the opposition party last week, citing “obvious reasons,” but did not specify his issues with the party or the motivations behind his departure.

Although he has not officially stated it, there are whispers that he is set to leave and join his Enugu colleague, Peter Mbah, in the All Progressives Congress.

However, his hesitation has led to discussions regarding the legality of his ongoing tenure in office.

Jacob claimed that the governor’s present position was against the constitution, stating, “holding that office without being part of a political party is entirely unlawful.”

“Without the PDP, Governor Diri wouldn’t have run for the election at all. The residents of Bayelsa have the right to challenge his hold on the position since they were the ones who cast their votes. If their governor is now without a political party, he should step down from the role,” Jacob stated.

A former PDP official also criticized the inadequate constitutional clauses and the judiciary’s hesitation in enabling politicians to switch or leave their supporting parties without suffering repercussions.

He expressed his sorrow, stating that institutions are being discredited by politicians, and the courts seem powerless since the Constitution’s language allows candidates to leave their political parties and move elsewhere without facing consequences.

Jacob pointed out that while the Constitution states that legislators must leave their positions if they switch sides without a valid justification, the courts have frequently not applied this rule rigorously.

If you choose to leave without meeting that requirement, you lose your position. However, even with this rule in place, the courts have been hesitant to enforce it effectively.

“We are facing a scenario where politicians are having a good time. They rush to one market today and another tomorrow, yet nothing seems to change. It appears that no one is in a position to manage the political elite anymore. They can act as they please, and nothing will come of it,” he stated.

He mentioned that this vulnerability has transformed political parties into “simply tools for power” instead of ideological bases, stating,

“Politicians switch parties without facing any repercussions. It appears no one has the ability to regulate the political elite anymore,” he stated.

Jacob cautioned that the trend threatens Nigeria’s democracy and transparency, enabling individuals to become “more powerful than political parties, more powerful than the courts, and even more powerful than INEC,” comparing them to “warlords” who act without oversight or repercussions.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).