Edison Ehie, the Speaker of the Edison group in the Rivers State House of Assembly, has formally requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize bye-elections to fill the 25 legislative seats declared vacant by the assembly.
Edie, a staunch supporter of Governor Sim Fubara, spearheaded a resolution on Wednesday that deemed the seats vacant, targeting lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a letter dated December 14, 2023, titled “Notice of Vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly and Request for Conduct of Fresh Elections in the 25 State Constituencies in the Rivers State House of Assembly,” Edie officially communicated the Assembly’s decision to INEC.
“Consequently, I write on behalf of the Rivers State House of Assembly to kindly request for a bye-election to be conducted to fill the vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly,” the letter partly read.
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The letter also included a list of the 25 lawmakers and their respective constituencies, asserting that they had vacated their seats.
Furthermore, Edie instructed the Accountant General of the State to comply with the resolution passed by the House, suspending the payment of salaries and emoluments to the former lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant.
He quoted the resolution as saying:
“That the House resolved and hereby direct the Accountant General of Rivers State to give effect to the resolution of this House and suspends the payment of the salaries and other emoluments due to the former members of this House.”
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a restraining order against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the conduct of a bye-election to fill the seats of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who have reportedly defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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The defection, allegedly led by members loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, prompted the presiding judge, Donatus Okorowo, to issue the order on Friday.
The court’s decision, although delivered on Friday, has been made public and accessible to the public on Monday.
Moreover, the court ruling extends to prevent the four-member House of Assembly, led by Speaker Edison, from declaring vacant the seats of the 27 APC Rivers Assembly members.