The seats of the 27 members of the All Progressives Congress who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party have been declared vacant by the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Wednesday.
The 27 legislators who supported Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, recently left the party in opposition to efforts to remove Sim Fubara, the state governor.
The lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant were not present for the meeting.
The four-member Assembly, led by factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, loyal to the state governor, on Wednesday, said the decision to declare the seats vacant was in line with Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The Speaker, who read the names of the lawmakers affected, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh elections within the time frame provided by law.to fill the positions.
“Distinguished colleagues, the House will duly inform the Independent National Electoral Commission of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly and indeed, to conduct a fresh election to fill the above vacancies,” he declared.
