The crisis rocking Rivers State is taking a toll on the Peoples Democratic Party as the acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun, has demanded the replacement of 27 PDP lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.
Damagum made this request through a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) where it demanded the conduct of a bye-election to replace the defectors.
The spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere made the letter titled, “Demand for Immediate Conduct of fresh election in 27 state constituencies of Rivers State which have become vacant pursuant to Section 109 (1)(g) of the constitution,” available tk journalists.
Signed by Damagum, the letter charged INEC to invoke relevant sections of the constitution against the lawmakers.
The letter also asked the Commission to take note of the “unlawful” defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on December 11, 2023, arguing that the lawmakers are no longer members of Assembly going by the provision of the law.
Damagun then called on the electoral body to perform its constitutional duties by facilitating a process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly members.