BREAKING: Drama as Rivers Lawmakers Who Defected to APC Told They’ve Lost Seats, Details Emerge
- Kalu Kalu Agu, a lawyer, has declared that the 27 Rivers lawmakers who exited the PDP to join the APC have lost their seats in parliament
- Legit.ng reported that Kalu said that an elected official can only defect from his party to another during his term if there is a leadership struggle within the party
- Barr. Kalu stated that the PDP is conducting its affairs "without any faction" anywhere in the country
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 6-year-experience covering politics in Nigeria
Port Harcourt, Rivers state - A lawyer, Kalu Kalu, has said the 27 lawmakers from Rivers state who recently left the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state have lost their seats in parliament.
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Rivers lawmakers exited the PDP for the main opposition, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Twitter
"27 Rivers' lawmakers' seats already vacant" - Lawyer
Kalu, in an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, December 12, noted that the law states that an elected official can only defect from his party to another during the course of his term if there is a leadership struggle within the party.
He explained:
“The 27 affected constituencies, their seats are already vacant, going by the provision of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as uttered.
"Once you defect from the political party from which you won election, to another political party before the expiration of the house upon which you were elected, that you automatically lose that seat.”
27 Pro-Wike lawmakers dump PDP for APC in Rivers
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that about 27 members of the Rivers state house of assembly, who are said to be loyal to the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, reportedly defected to the APC.
The lawmakers dumped the PDP for the APC on Monday, December 11, during the sitting of the house.
Defecting lawmakers: INEC told to conduct by-elections
Legit.ng also reported that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise bye-elections for the 27 vacant constituencies in the Rivers state house of assembly.
During a press conference held on Tuesday, December 12, Daniel Okwa, the group's convener, expressed concern about the implications of recent events in Rivers for democracy in the country.
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Source: Legit.ng
