PDP Urges INEC to Initiate Fresh Elections in Rivers State Constituencies

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly initiate the process of conducting fresh elections in the 27 constituencies of Rivers State that have become vacant due to defections within the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The PDP contends that, in accordance with Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended, the seats of the 27 former lawmakers have become vacant following their defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Debo Ologunagba, the national publicity secretary of the party, emphasized that the Speaker of the Rivers State House Assembly should “immediately comply with the provisions of the Constitution by declaring the seats of the 27 former lawmakers vacant.”

Ologunagba’s statement reads: “Section 109 (1) of the 1999 Constitution stipulates 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.'”

“In light of the aforementioned constitutional provision and its unequivocal interpretation by the Supreme Court, the 27 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have relinquished and forfeited their seats, rights, privileges, recognition, and obligations inherent to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

“With the existing vacancies in the 27 state constituencies in Rivers State, the PDP insists that INEC, within the stipulated period outlined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), should conduct a fresh election to fill the vacancies.”

“The party issues a caution, emphasizing that the former lawmakers should refrain from portraying themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as such actions would constitute impersonation with serious criminal consequences.”