The speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Ehie Ogerenye Edison, has formally written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, seeking bye-election for the 25 vacant seats in the State House of Assembly.
Edison in the letter, notified the electoral commission, that there are 25 vacant seats at the Assembly, noting that bye-elections needed to be conducted in 25 Constituencies, in Rivers State.
The letter dated 14 December 2023 is titled “NOTICE OF VACANCIES IN THE RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY under SECTION 109(1)(G) AND (2) OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA 1999 (AS AMENDED) AND REQUEST FOR CONDUCT OF FRESH ELECTIONS IN THE 25 STATE CONSTITUENCIES IN THE RIVERS STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY”
The letter reads in part: “I write to formally bring to your notice vacancies in the seats of the under-listed constituencies and membership under Section 109(1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended). The under-listed members who represented the respective Constituencies indicated against their names jointly and severally decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under whose platform they were elected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the 11th day of December 2023. As a result, by Section 109 (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and by Resolution of the House at the 90th Legislative Sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly held on Wednesday, 13th day of December, 2023, their seats were declared vacant.
“Consequently, I write on behalf of the Rivers State House of Assembly to kindly request for a bye-election to be conducted to fill the vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Premium Politics reported that 27 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party, who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, defected to the All Progressives Congress, citing the crisis in the party and maladministration in the state, as the reason for their defection.
However, the move has elicited different reactions from the public and it also met with swift action from Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s camp, with legislators loyal to him declaring the defectors’ seats vacant.”
The 27 defected lawmakers, who are allegedly loyal to Wike were led into their new party by Martins Amaewhule.