The 25 open seats in the Rivers House of Assembly have been “formally” reported to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), according to a statement released by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday.
On Monday, 27 legislators who were reportedly close to the state’s most recent governor, Nyesom Wike, defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Two of the MPs, nevertheless, reportedly joined the PDP again.
The PDP requested that Rivers Assembly Speaker Edison Ehie swiftly proclaim the lawmakers’ seats vacant the following day.
In a statement, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party requested that elections be held in the impacted constituencies by the electoral body.
READ ALSO:INEC has been notified about the presence of 25 empty seats in the Rivers Assembly – PDP
Section 109 (1) of the constitution, which lays out the conditions for a legislator to lose their place in parliament, served as the foundation for the party’s proposal.
Following its meeting on Wednesday, it stated that some resolutions had been reached and that the affairs of Rivers had been “thoroughly reviewed.”
“That the Party notifies the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in writing of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly due to the defection of the 25 now-former members, who vacated their seats by their action in accordance with Section 109 (1)(g) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),” the statement says.
“That the Party formally demand that INEC hold new elections in the 25 state constituencies of Rivers State within the constitutionally allotted time frame, since vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly presently exist due to the 25 now-former members’ defection.
In line with the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Constitution (as amended), “direct the National Legal Adviser to initiate appropriate legal action with respect to the declaration of the seats of the 25 defecting former members vacant and the conduct of fresh election into the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State.”
In order to guarantee that the votes and mandate of the citizens of the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State are safeguarded and never appropriated under any circumstances, the PDP claims to be taking “every necessary step available in a democracy.”
