Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, has declared the seats of 27 lawmakers, who on Monday defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressive Congress (APC), vacant.
During plenary on Wednesday, Ehie said the 27 seats of the lawmakers are now vacant, in line with Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
CHECKPOINTCHARLEY reported that 27 Rivers Assembly Lawmakers, led by Matthew Amaewhule, defected to the APC.
Recall that Justice M. W. Danagogo of Port Harcourt High Court had on Tuesday declared Edison Ehie as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly
The judge, in an ex-parte motion brought by Ehie, also restrained Martins Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker.
The PDP had in a statement issued on Monday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, directed the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly to declare the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant, and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence the conduct of fresh elections in their constituencies.
According to the PDP, by defecting from the political party platform on which they were elected into the House of Assembly, 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).
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