The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission demanding fresh elections to replace the 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress on Monday.
This was made known in a press statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
De Erudite Media reported that the Rivers State political crisis has taken a new swing as no fewer than twenty-seven lawmakers in the State House of Assembly have decamped to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The lawmakers, who were elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, announced their decision during Monday’s plenary at the Rivers Assembly Complex.
Consequently, the affected lawmakers are said to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
According to Ologunagba, the seats of the defected lawmakers have become vacant because they contested elections on the platform of the party in their respective constituencies.
Citing the country’s constitution, he said, “The seats of the respective 27 former lawmakers have become vacant by the provision of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 109 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected…’
“Because of the above constitutional provision and its clear interpretation by the Supreme Court, the 27 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have vacated and lost their seats, rights, privileges, recognition, and obligations accruable to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The PDP, therefore, demands that the Speaker of the Rivers State House Assembly immediately comply with the provision of the Constitution by declaring the seats of the 27 former lawmakers vacant.”
He maintained, “Given the vacancy now existing in the 27 state constituencies in Rivers State, the PDP demands that INEC should, within the stipulated period under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), conduct fresh election to fill the vacancies.
“Our party cautions that the former lawmakers should stop parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as such would amount to impersonation with serious criminal consequences.”
The party further implored the people of the state to remain steadfast and loyal to democracy and the rule of law, especially during this time.