PDP asks INEC to declare Rivers 27 lawmakers’ seats vacant over switch to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Monday evening urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the seats of the 27 members of the River House Assembly vacant for defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The party made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

It added that the request was in line with Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

The lawmakers who are loyalists of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, switched to APC on Monday morning.

The statement read: “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 their seats.

READ ALSO: 27 Rivers Assembly members loyal to Wike dump PDP for APC

“They have 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.

“Given the vacancy now existing in the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State, the PDP demands that INEC within the stipulated period under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) conduct a fresh election to fill the vacancies.”

The party also cautioned the defectors from parading themselves as members of the Assembly as that would amount to impersonation.

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