The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted the seats of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress remain vacant.

In a press statement signed on Thursday by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party denied being under pressure to go back on its decision.

The statement read, “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) @OfficialPDPNig declares that nothing will make it change its position on the vacation of seats by former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) @OfficialAPCNg.

“The party also clarified that it is not under pressure from any quarters to compromise its position in court wherein it had already clearly stated that the former Rivers State lawmakers are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from December 11, 2023, when they publicly announced their defection from the PDP to the APC,” it reiterated.

The party stated that the clarification became imperative in order to refute the mischievous report in a section of social media falsely claiming that the party is planning to compromise and provide a lifeline for the defected party lawmakers to return to their seats which they have constitutionally vacated.

“Our party, therefore, stands by its position that the affected members have since lost their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, having arrogantly committed an unpardonable constitutional breach,” it maintained.

It stressed that the PDP, in its counterclaim by its national legal adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade SAN in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023, filed at the Federal High Court Abuja, stated clearly that the former Rivers State lawmakers “are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from December 11, 2023, when they publicly announced their defection from the PDP to the APC.”