The Rivers House of Assembly has moved a motion declaring vacant the 25 seats of members who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The assembly, led by Edison Ehie (PDP-Ahoada 11), unanimously supported the motion during Wednesday’s plenary.

In his remarks, Mr Ehie said that the house had received notices and correspondence, including newspaper publications, from 25 members of the house on their formal defection from the PDP to the APC.

“We are aware that it is the right of members and for every Nigerian as regards freedom of association.

“While we respect that constitutional right, we are also mindful as a legislative assembly of our allegiance to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended and our oaths of office to defend the Constitution, which is our guide.

“The actions of these honourable members and colleagues who have been on suspension are a gross violation of the constitution, which provides that a member of the state house of assembly shall only defect to another party other than the party on whose platform they were elected if there is a division or crisis in the parent party.

‘As we all know, there is no crisis in our great party, the PDP; therefore, the provision of Section 109, sub 1, paragraph G of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended attracts a vacation of the seats of these affected members,” Mr Ehie said.

He also noted that there was no crisis or division in the PDP, as it had continued to operate with an undivided national leadership.

“Our state party structure remains intact, with a working committee led by our state party chairman, Chukwu Emeka,” he added.

(NAN)