- APC welcomes legislators, expects more deserters
- Wike may join APC December 15
- PDP, group seek election to replace 27 defected lawmakers
The political crisis rocking Rivers State House of Assembly took a new dimension on Monday as 27 out of the 31 lawmakers in the state defected to the All Progressives Congress.
The defected lawmakers cited divisions within the People’s Democratic Party as the reason for their defection.
In a video of the defection, the lawmakers were seen waving the APC flag and chanting “on your mandate we shall stand,” the campaign song of President Bola Tinubu.
The defection came about two weeks after the former governor of the state who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike told reporters that 27 lawmakers in the state were opposing the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
APC welcomes legislators, expects more traitors
Meanwhile, the APC in Rivers State has said it is open to receive more defectors from the PDP in the state, describing the defection of the 27 members of the State House of Assembly as a welcome development.
Spokesperson for the state APC Caretaker Committee, Chibuike Ikenga, stated this in Port Harcourt on Monday.
He said with the number of lawmakers now in the APC and others to follow, the state can be effectively governed.
Ikenga stated, “In an earlier interview, I did mention that our doors are open to welcoming anybody who is willing to be part of us.
“We are happy about this (lawmakers defection), and we expect that others will join so that we can swell the ranks of the APC and run the state properly. The defection of the lawmakers is a welcome development.”
Wike may join APC December 15
In another development, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, may finally decamp to the ruling APC on Friday, December 15, 2023.
Unconfirmed sources said on Monday that Wike has set December 15, 2023 date for his formal defection to the ruling party.
The impending defection is with the exception of any last minute changes.
Although Wike is very much at home with the APC, he is still a member of the PDP.
PDP, group seek election to replace 27 defected lawmakers
Following the defection of 27 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the PDP to the APC on Monday, the former has demanded that the Independent National Electoral Commission immediately commence the process of conducting fresh elections into the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State.
According to the Party, the 27 seats became vacant because of the defection of the 27 lawmakers of the Assembly.
Describing them as former state lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly, the party asserted that by defecting from the PDP, the political party platform on which they were elected, the seats of the lawmakers have become vacant.
The party relied on the provision of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).
The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba said, “for the avoidance of doubt, Section 109 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that ‘a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected…’
“By reason of the above Constitutional provision and its clear interpretation by the Supreme Court, the 27 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have vacated and lost their seats, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations accruable to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
The PDP therefore demanded that the Speaker of the Rivers State House Assembly immediately comply with the provision of the Constitution by declaring the seats of the 27 former lawmakers vacant.
“In view of the vacancy now existing in the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State, the PDP demands that INEC should within the stipulated period under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) conduct fresh election to fill the vacancies,” the party said.
The PDP cautioned that the former lawmakers should stop parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as such would amount to impersonation with serious criminal consequences.
The PDP commended the people of Rivers State for their steadfastness and loyalty to Democracy and Rule of Law especially at this time.
In the same vein, a group under the aegis of Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy has called on the INEC to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacancy in the Rivers State House of Assembly created by the defection of the 27 PDP members.
“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.
The group, in its letter to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, by its Legal Adviser, Kalu Kalu Agu, threatened to carry out legal action against INEC if it fails to comply with the provisions of the Constitution on the issue.
Explaining the implications of the defection to INEC, the non-governmental organization with the object of advocating for good governance said, “by virtue of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), the said Twenty Seven (27) PDP MEMBERS of the Rivers State House of Assembly have lost their membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Take note that in the event you fail to heed to our demand within forty eight hours of receipt of this letter, we shall commence a legal action to compel you to comply with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.”
Rivers State has been enmeshed in political crisis since late October after an attempt by the State Assembly to impeach Governor Fubara resulted in the bombing of a section of the assembly complex.
Governor Fubara accompanied by some aides was tear gassed by the police while visiting the complex to assess the level of damage caused by the explosion.
As a result, the state lawmakers have split into two factions – a faction backed by Wike and the second faction loyal to Governor Fubara.
Martin Amaewhule is the speaker of Wike’s faction while Edison Ehie, a former leader of the assembly who was removed for not supporting governor Fubara’s impeachment is the speaker of the faction loyal to Fubara.
The two factions have repeatedly held parallel sittings at different locations in Port Harcourt.
In an apparent move to frustrate further sittings by the Wike-backed faction, the Rivers State Government in November redeployed the assembly clerk and his deputy to other ministries in the state.
The political crisis in the state has worsened despite mediation by President Tinubu.
The two factions reportedly held parallel sittings on Monday under heavy security mounted by the Nigerian Police.
It is not clear if the lawmakers after defecting to the APC will activate the impeachment plot against Governor Fubara.
Wike after falling out with former vice president Atiku Abubakar after the PDP presidential primary last year pitched his tent with Tinubu who was the APC candidate.
He had campaigned vigorously for Tinubu during the presidential campaign early this year.
