PDP Disowns 25 Members Of Rivers Assembly, Says You Are No Longer Our Members

By Ayodele Oni

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that those 25 members of the Rivers state House of Assembly that decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) cannot return to the party.

Rising from an emergency meeting on Tuesday, in Abuja PDP declared that there is no remedy for the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

It explained that by virtue of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the affected former legislators vacated and lost their seats by reason of defection from the PDP, the Party platform upon which they were elected into the House of Assembly.

Acting National Chairman of the PDP Umar Damagum, who stated the position of the Party at a press conference in Abuja, said that the Party insisted that having vacated and lost their seats, the only option available for the former lawmakers, if they wish to return to the House of Assembly, is to seek fresh nomination and re-election on the platform of any political party of their choice.

Damagun further said that the 25 former Rivers lawmakers freely and without any cause, vacated their seats, being fully aware of the consequences of defection from the Party upon which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly without the conditions stipulated by the 1999 Constitution.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no division in the PDP at the national or any other level for that matter to justify the defection of the 25 former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from the Party.

“They therefore vacated their seats for reasons best known to them and cannot return to the House of Assembly without passing through a fresh electoral process in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act, 2022.

“Moreover, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly Rt. Hon (Barr) Ehie O. Edison (DSSRS) officially declared the seat of the defected now former members vacant in line with Section 109 (1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

“The Rivers State House of Assembly, having become Functus Officio on the matter cannot re-admit the former lawmakers unless through the channel of a fresh election.

“For emphasis, Section 84 (15) of the Electoral Act, 2022 is clear in providing that no Courts have powers to stop INEC from conducting elections wherever and whenever a vacancy occurs in any electoral constituency.

“For clarity Section 84 (15) of the Electoral Act, 2022 provides that nothing in this section shall empower the Courts to stop the holding of primaries or general election under this Act pending the determination of the suit.”

The PDP restated the call for the conduct of fresh election into the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State where vacancies have occurred by reason of the defection of the now former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the determination of any suit in any court.