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Damagum Calls for Bye-Election in Rivers Assembly After Defections

Umar Damagum, the acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The request, made in a letter dated December 12, 2023, was addressed to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and acknowledged by the commission on November 13, 2024.

The call follows ongoing political turmoil within the Rivers State House of Assembly, which has been marred by internal disputes. In October 2023, Ehie Edison, initially aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, was elected as speaker of a factional assembly after being removed as house leader by lawmakers led by Martin Amaewhule.

The crisis intensified on December 11 when 27 lawmakers, led by Amaewhule, defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), aligning with former Governor Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In response, Edison, the factional speaker, declared the seats of the defectors vacant on December 12.

However, Edison himself resigned from the assembly to assume the role of Chief of Staff to the Governor. Despite this, the defected lawmakers have attempted to prevent their replacement, resulting in a legal challenge. A high court in Abuja dismissed a suit in September that sought the removal of the defecting lawmakers, and Victor Oko-Jumbo has since been elected as the new speaker.

In his letter, Damagum described the defection as a “gross violation” of section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which addresses party-switching by lawmakers. He called on INEC to uphold its constitutional responsibility and conduct fresh elections to fill the 27 vacant constituencies.

“The unlawful act of the assembly members has created vacancies in the 27 state constituencies,” Damagum wrote, while also expressing appreciation for INEC’s role in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.

The crisis in the Rivers House of Assembly is widely viewed as a power struggle between Governor Fubara and Minister Wike, both of whom wield significant political influence in the state. The delayed public release of the letter by the PDP remains unclear.

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