The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to caution the ousted 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly against actions capable of disrupting the smooth running of the state by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Disclosing this in a press statement on Wednesday, the PDP national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, reminded the lawmakers loyal to the immediate past governor, Nyesom Wike, that they publicly declared their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Citing the 1999 constitution in the statement, Mr Ologunagba insisted that by their defection, they had given up their legislative seats in the assembly and, therefore, had lost the right to meet as the state’s lawmakers, let alone issue directives to the governor.
Mr Ologunagba, in the statement, said, “The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the umpteenth time, cautions the former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who lost their seats upon defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) @OfficialAPCNg to desist from actions and utterances that are capable of disrupting peace and governance in the State.
“The Party counsels the former lawmakers to wake up to the reality that they are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by virtue of the self-executory provision of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and as such cannot gather or issue any notice to the State Governor in the capacity of members of Rivers State House of Assembly,” he explained.
According to the party’s national spokesperson, the caution followed the former lawmakers’ purported seven-day ultimatum issued from an unknown location to the governor to re-present the 2024 state’s budget already passed and signed into law.
Mr Ologunlagba said the action by pro-Wike lawmakers’ seeking to assume the powers of the state assembly “is apparently with the intension to cause crisis, undermine and disrupt the Democratic and Constitutional Order in the State in clear violation of Section 1 sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
“Having irretrievably lost their seats upon their defection from the PDP, the political Party platform upon which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, they cannot enjoy the powers, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly,” Mr Ologunagba insisted.
The party, therefore, charged the IG “to note the subversive action of these former lawmakers and take immediate action to protect the Institution of Democracy, peace and security in Rivers State.”
He also called on the people of the state to remain vigilant and law-abiding and continue working together for the continued stability, peace and delivery of democracy dividends in the state on the party’s platform.
