BREAKING: Rivers Labour Party Governorship Candidate declares support for Fubara 

Rivers Labour Party Governorship Candidate declares support for Fubara 

 

 

The Labour Party Governorship Candidate in the 2023 Rivers State Governorship Election, Mrs. Beatrice Itubo has declared total support for Governor Sim Fubara.

 

BREAKING:

Labour Party Governorship Candidate in the 2023 Rivers State Governorship Election, Mrs. Beatrice Itubo pledges total support for Governor Sim Fubara. pic.twitter.com/TeV3VnvExT

— Chris (@Topboychriss) December 12, 2023

Fubara summons emergency meeting over defection of 27 lawmakers loyal to Wike

 

Governor Sim Fubara has summoned an executive council meeting hours after 27 Rivers assembly members loyal to Wike on Monday morning announced their defection from PDP to APC.

 

NEWS WEEK NIGERIA had earlier reported that the 27 lawmakers loyal to former Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike have decamped to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

This is coming amidst the political crisis that has erupted within the state between the camp of the former governor and the current governor, Sim Fubara.

 

You have between now and Friday to expel Wike from PDP — Idris tells his party 

 

Mr. Kalgo Idris, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on his party to expel the former Governor of Rivers State and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

 

Idris, who shared the news on his verified X account sighted by NEWS WEEK NIGERIA, said the party has between now and Friday 15th December to expel Nyesom Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

He wrote:

“Dear NWC of our great party @OfficialPDPNig you have from now to Friday the 15th Dec to expel this good for nothing @GovWike from @OfficialPDPNig it is clearly he’s using money to control some of you, he has no any political relevance anymore! Else we the youth will force you to”

 

INEC told to conduct fresh elections in 27 state constituencies in Rivers 

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should immediately commence the process of conducting fresh elections into the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State which have become vacant by reason of the defection of the 27 former State lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

The PDP asserts that by defecting from the PDP, the political Party platform on which they were elected into the Rivers State 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).

 

For the avoidance of doubt, Section 109 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that “a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected…”

 

READ ALSO: INEC told to conduct fresh elections in 27 state constituencies in Rivers 

 

By reason of the above Constitutional provision and its clear interpretation by the Supreme Court, the 27 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have vacated and lost their seats, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations accruable to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

 

The PDP therefore demands that the Speaker of the Rivers State House Assembly immediately comply with the provision of the Constitution by declaring the seats of the 27 former lawmakers vacant.

 

In view of the vacancy now exiting in the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State, the PDP demands that INEC should within the stipulated period under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) conduct fresh election to fill the vacancies.

 

Our Party cautions that the former lawmakers should stop parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as such would amount to impersonation with serious criminal consequences.

 

The PDP commends the people of Rivers State for their steadfastness and loyalty to Democracy and Rule of Law especially at this time.

 

Recall that over Rivers State House of Assembly members loyal to Wike on Monday morning announced their defection from PDP to APC.