The Rivers State House of Assembly has declared the seats of the 27 members who on Monday dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress vacant.
The lawmakers who recognise Martins Amaewhule as Speaker were not present at the sitting where their seats were declared vacant.
The five-member Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, loyal to the state governor, on Wednesday, said the decision to declare the seats vacant was in line with Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The Speaker, who read the names of the lawmakers affected, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections within the time frame provided by law.to fill the positions.
“Distinguished colleagues, the House will duly inform the Independent National Electoral Commission of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly and indeed, to conduct a fresh election to fill the above vacancies,” he announced.
Recall that the Peoples Democratic Party had written 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.
According to a statement issued by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.
The statement read in part: “The seats of the respective 27 former lawmakers have become vacant by virtue of 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 Labour Party also has called for the seats of the defecting lawmakers vacant. The party also cited Section 109 (1) (g).
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