INEC asked to declare seats of Rivers Assembly members vacant for joining APC

The group asked the electoral body to commence the bye-election process to fill the vacant seat of the defected lawmakers in the assembly.

Tosin Ajuwon • December 11, 2023

FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike [Credit: Chi Geru]

A group, Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare vacant seats of 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a letter written to INEC on Monday, the group asked the electoral body to commence the bye-election process to fill the vacant seat of the defected lawmakers in the assembly.

Quoting section 109 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, the group said the lawmakers lost their membership by defecting to the APC.

“That by virtue of the decision in OGBUOJI VS UMUHA (2022) 8 NWLR (PT 1832), 323, the Independent National Electoral Commission shall conduct a bye-election to fill the vacancies created by the said defection.

“In view of the foregoing, we respectfully implore you to commence the process of conducting a bye-election in Rivers State to fill the said vacancies,” the group said in the letter signed by its legal adviser, Kalu Agu.

It gave the electoral body two days to act, noting that failure to declare their seats vacant would attract legal action in line with the constitution’s provision.

The call by the group came after the lawmakers under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule, the assembly speaker and former Governor Nyesom Wike’s ally, announced their defection during the plenary session on Monday.

The defection of the lawmakers came two weeks after Mr Wike revealed that 27 lawmakers were now opposing the incumbent state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

In a video of the defection sighted by Peoples Gazette, the defected lawmakers could be seen waving the APC flag and chanting solidarity songs supporting President Bola Tinubu.

Rivers has been enmeshed in political impasse since October after an attempt to impeach Mr Fubara by the lawmakers of the state assembly.

The crisis led to the bombing of a section of the assembly complex, while Mr Fubara, who was furious by the incident, was teargassed by the police during a visit to the assembly to assess the level of damage caused by the explosion.

The political crisis in the state has led to a faction between the lawmakers of the assembly – with one loyal to Mr Wike and the other to Mr Fubara.

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