Why Seats Of 27 Rivers Lawmakers Should Be Declared Vacant – LP

The Labour Party (LP) has said the seats of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) should be declared vacant.

The Rivers State LP Chairperson, Hilda Dokubo, said this in a statement on Monday, hours after 27 lawmakers dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.

Dokubo stated that the lawmakers’ seats should be declared vacant immediately and called for a fresh election to fill the vacant positions because the defection was unconstitutional.

She said: “The provision is clear about the fate of those legislators who betrayed the party that sponsored them.

“Therefore, Labour demands the Speaker of the House declare the 27 seats vacant immediately.

“The political class should be aware that they can no longer take the electorates and parties that sponsored them for a ride.

“Fresh elections in Rivers State will offer the people the opportunity to elect their true representatives.”

Conduct Fresh Elections For 27 Rivers Constituencies – PDP To INEC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to initiate the immediate process of conducting fresh elections for the 27 state constituencies in Rivers State.

This demand came as a response to the perceived vacancy resulting from the voluntary departure of “27 former (Rivers) state lawmakers,” who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP asserted that these lawmakers’ decision to abandon their seats necessitates the prompt organization of new elections to fill the vacant positions.