Rivers Assembly speaker declares Amaewhule, 26 other defected lawmakers’ seats vacant

Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Edison Ehie, has declared the seats of 27 lawmakers vacant.

Leading proceedings at plenary on Wednesday, Ehie said the 27 seats of the lawmakers, who decamped to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), were declared vacant in line with Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
THEWILL had reported on Monday, that 27 Rivers Assembly Lawmakers, led by Matthew Amaewhule, defected to the APC.

A High Court in Port Harcourt had on Tuesday, declared Edison Ehie as the authentic Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly
The court, presided over by Justice M. W. Danagogo, in an ex-parte motion brought by Ehie, had restrained Martins Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker.

The PDP had in a statement issued on Monday, by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, directed the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly to declare the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant, and asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately commence the conduct of fresh elections in their constituencies.

The Party argued that by defecting from the political party platform on which they were elected into the House of Assembly, the seats of the respective 27 former lawmakers have become vacant by virtue of the provision of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).