A High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has declared the seats of 27 PDP lawmakers who decamped to the APC in the State House of Assembly vacant.
The decision further raised concern over the political crisis in the state between the camps of Governor Sim Fubara and former Governur Nyesom Wike, who is the Minister of the FCT.
The ruling comes as a culmination of legal proceedings following the decampment of the lawmakers.
The decision has elicited approval by numerous stakeholders, including 60 federal lawmakers and constitutional lawyers, who have lauded it as a necessary step towards ensuring the integrity of legislative representation.
In light of the court’s ruling, calls have emerged for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to swiftly initiate the process of conducting by-elections in Rivers State.
It is imperative that INEC expeditiously sets a date for the by-elections to fill the vacant seats, thereby facilitating the restoration of full representation for the affected constituencies.
The declaration of the seats as vacant not only reaffirms the primacy of constitutional provisions but also serves as a reminder of the accountability that elected officials owe to their constituents.
As such, the verdict stands as a testament to the resilience of democratic institutions in Nigeria.
