Why we’re suing defected Rivers lawmakers, seeking fresh elections – PDP

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party has directed its Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibad, to commence appropriate legal action against the defection of 27 state House of Assembly lawmakers from its party to the All Progressives Congress.

Starnews reports that a total of 27 members of the House elected on the PDP platform on Monday, defected to the APC and threatened to reject the requests of the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for approval.

Their defection, according to the letters written to the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, and read on the floor of the House, was predicated on the division in the party as regards the tussle for the position of the National Secretary of the PDP, which had made communications channels difficult.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, on Wednesday, said at its NWC’s 580th meeting thoroughly reviewed the state of the party in Rivers State.

Ologunagba disclosed that the party communicates to the Independent National Electoral Commission by formally informing the Commission of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly as a result of the defection.

He insisted that by virtue of Section 109 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the lawmakers have vacated their seats.

The PDP demanded that INEC should within the constitutionally stipulated time, conduct fresh elections in the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State where vacancies now exist as a result of the defection of the 27 former members.

The statement read, “The party directs the National Legal Adviser to commence appropriate legal action with respect to the declaration of the seats of the 25 defected former members vacant and the conduct of fresh election into the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State in accordance with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

“That the PDP will take every step necessary and available in a democracy to ensure that the votes and mandate of the people of the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State are protected and not appropriated under any circumstance whatsoever.”