NewStats: 3,262,232 , 8,176,536 topics. Date: Sunday, 01 June 2025 at 01:16 PM 1w1m2k

In an apparent move against pro-Wike rivers lawmakers, the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Umar Damagun, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a bye election to fill up their seats, following their defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Damagun’s request was contained in a letter he addressed to INEC. The Certified True Copy of the letter is dated 13th November, 2024.

The spokesperson of the Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Ugochinyere made the letter available to journalists at a press conference in Akokwa, Imo State, on Sunday.

The letter is 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”.

It drew the Commission’s attention to the “unlawful” defection of 27 of the Rivers State House of Assembly on December 11, 2023.

According to the letter, going by provisions of the Constitution, the lawmakers are no longer of Assembly.

The PDP acting chairman therefore urged the Commission to performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting fresh elections to fill the vacancies created in the 27 state constituencies by the unlawful act of the former Assembly .

Parts of the letter read, “The Leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wishes to draw the attention of the Commission to the gross violation of Section 109 (1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) by 27 of the Rivers State House of Assembly following their unlawful defection from our Party, the PDP who sponsored their elections to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday, December 11, 2023.

“The Commission may recall that our Party, the PDP nominated all our 32 State House of Assembly candidates in Rivers State for the 2023 General Election on the 7th of July 2022 via your electronic candidate election nomination portal (See attached acknowledgement).

“The Commission may also recall that following the nomination, the Commission conducted election into the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 18th of March, 2023 and our Party won 32 seats in the state Assembly. The elected State House of Assembly were inaugurated and sworn-in on June, 2023.

“However, on Monday, 11 December, 2023 a period of just six (6) months after inauguration, 27 out of the 32 publicly announced their defection from our Party to the All Progressive Congress (APC). This defection is a gross violation of Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended).

“The only two grounds of division and merger provided for in the Constitution that permit such defection is completely non-existent in our political Party. It therefore means that the defections of the 27 are without lawful excuse and these have vacated their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the operations of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.

“In view of the foregoing, we hereby demand that the Commission performs its constitutional duties and begin the process of conducting a Fresh Election to fill the vacancies created in the 27 State Constituencies by the unlawful act of the Assembly . Find attached the list of the 27 State Assembly and their Constituencies.

“While thanking the Commission for its commitment to deepening democracy in our country, please accept the assurances of our highest regards.”

https://dailypost.ng/2024/11/25/rivers-crisis-conduct-election-to-replace-sacked-pro-wike-lawmakers-damagun-to-inec/

Wike will respond to them in due time.

Why do I feel Wike is behind this hypocritical statement from Damagun?
Fubara should not be swayed by this deceitful and hypocritical statement

Ok

Wike should be ready for the next election in Rivers state.

The opposition might not be much considering the way he has been carrying the people along in his projects execution

Mahenson:
Why do I feel Wike is behind this hypocritical statement from Damagun?

You de reason well, this is option D

Mahenson:
Why do I feel Wike is behind this hypocritical statement from Damagun?

Why will Wike be behind a move that is going to work against him?

Abuja High Court, over to you food don come

Seefinish:
Abuja High Court, over to you food don come

Ok

Wike is a man of integrity. I trust he will do what is right for the people of FCT.

Paraman:
Why will Wike be behind a move that is going to work against him?

Do you think its going to be against him? It wont, theres a game plan. Same way he ed Tinubu against his party. Its called politics.

Lobatan. The rest is noise.

God bless Nigeria for ever!

Mr PDP Chairman...... Why Now

This is a letter you should have written almost a year ago when those miscreants defected to that useless party.

Jungle don obviously mature...

Anytime that election takes place,

Fubara and his candidates will Prevail and let Wike know that Incumbency is bigger than Godfatherism...

Rivers nor be Lagos.

.

Happy political retirement to them, come 2027 SIM will still win

See as people dey play chess in PDP!

it has already been determined by a court judgement that they did not defect since their names are not present in the APC list of . Furthermore the same PDP confirmed in writing to the court that the 27 are of PDP.

I swear this PDP is a cursed party

This PDP lacked logics! A case is in a court of law, yet you want INEC to perverts the law?

Na now way Dagum dey wake up ?? Since December last year he is only writing to INEC after a year. What a joke.. PDP is dead and gone all thanks to wike and this sell out

Noted.

Saraki as Senate president defected to PDP from APC, tambuwal did same as speaker....alot of lawmakers defect from 1 party to another so why should INEC conduct election for defected rivers lawmakers

The only good talk

Mahenson:


Do you think its going to be against him? It wont, theres a game plan. Same way he ed Tinubu against his party. Its called politics.

The only way he can fight Fubara is through those lawmakers.

This one don't have sense

If INEC should conduct the election, do he think PDP will win one local government?

APC will clear it if INEC should conduct the election.

PDP should observe this man, he may be APC mole

Wike's boldness don dey inspire others

Be like tinubu sef don put hand to finish wike

Na wetin court talk be that? Werey people pushing someone that make political convent

casualobserver:
it has already been determined by a court judgement that they did not defect since their names are not present in the APC list of . Furthermore the same PDP confirmed in writing to the court that the 27 are of PDP.

I swear this PDP is a cursed party

Wonderful. So what happened to the affidavit they swore?

Paraman:
The only way he can fight Fubara is through those lawmakers.

And who told you the lawmakers will be removed? Who told you INEC is going to conduct elections? Just dey play.

INEC should do the needful, please!
Imagine these guys defecting publicly in the full view of the media and everyone, and now claiming they did not defect!

And a Judge is declaring that budget should be presented to these former who have since lost their seats!
Martins Amaewhule and his cohorts will live to regret the event of 11 December, 2023!
It's a lesson for every other sycophant out there.
We recall that it was thesame Martins Amaewhule who moved the motion to impeach Rotimi Amaechi in 2013, which led to the crises that rocked the Rivers State House of Assembly and the entire State!