Rivers Crisis: Defection Of 27 Lawmakers Are Without Lawful Excuse –According to Damagun Urges INEC For Elections

 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagun, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to hold a bye poll to replace the seats of members who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in favor of Wike Rivers. This seems to be an attempt to undermine their credibility.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>

Daily Post reported that Damagun wrote a letter to INEC outlining his request. The letter’s certified true copy is dated November 13, 2024.

 

Ikenga Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, provided the letter to reporters during a press conference held on Sunday in Akokwa, Imo State.

 

The letter alerted the Commission to the illegal defection of 27 members of the House of Assembly in Rivers State, which happened on December 11, 2023. The letter claims that, in accordance with the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer Assembly members.

 

In his letter, Damagun informed INEC that on July 7, 2022, the PDP used INEC’s electronic candidate election nomination portal to nominate all 32 of its candidates for the State House of Assembly in Rivers State for the 2023 general election.

 

Part of the letter reads, “However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 members publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).”

 

“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection are completely non-existent in our political party.”

 

“It therefore means that the defections of the 27 members are without lawful excuse, and these members have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.”

 

“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission perform its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a fresh election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly members. Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly members and their constituencies.”

 

Damagum urged INEC to accept the party’s highest regard assurances while expressing gratitude to the Commission for its dedication to strengthening Nigerian democracy.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>