The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to write the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to demand conduct of fresh election in constituencies of the Rivers State House of Assembly who recently effected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba stated this in a statement issued after the party National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ologunagba said that NWC at its Wednesday 580th meeting thoroughly reviewed the state of the party in Rivers State, particularly with regard to the defection of 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly elected on PDP platform but recently defected to APC.
He said that the NWC resolved the party communicates to INEC by formally informing the commission of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly as a result of their defection of the 25 now former members.
Ologunagba said that by virtue of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) has vacated their seats by their action.
He said that the NWC also resolved “that the party officially demand that INEC should within the Constitutionally stipulated time.
“That INEC conduct fresh election in the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State where vacancies now exist in the Rivers State House of Assembly as a result of the defection of the 25 now former members.
“The party also resolved to direct the national legal adviser to commence appropriate legal action with respect to the declaration of the seats of the 25 defected former members vacant;
“and the conduct of fresh election into the 25 State Constituencies in accordance with the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“That the PDP will take every step necessary and available in a democracy to ensure that the votes and mandate of the people of the 25 State Constituencies in Rivers State are protected and not appropriated under any circumstance whatsoever,” Ologunagba said.