Two of the 27 Rivers House Of Assembly lawmakers that decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday have reneged from the defection while a good number of others are relentlessly lobbying to also return.
The two lawmakers who have so far returned and apologised to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, are Tonye Adoki, a member representing Port Harcourt Constituency II, and Linda Somiari Stewart representing Okrika Constituency at the State House of Assembly.
Confirming the development, the State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Joseph Johnson, said there are more defected members jostling to return.
Johnson noted that the state needs peace and unity to thrive, assuring that the administration of Fubara will continue to take steps that will entrench peace in the State.
Most of the defected lawmakers were only adhering to directives without adequate knowledge of the implications.
Their breakout from the defection may have followed arguments by some lawyers and political analysts in the State that the lawmakers shot themselves in the foot by allegedly allowing themselves to be controlled by a selfish godfather.
Some of lawyers argued that the division cited by the lawmakers as their reason for defection was baseless, stressing that there is no factional Chairman in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or other crisis situation that may have caused their action.
A constitutional lawyer and lecturer at the Rivers State University, Prof Richard Wokocha said, the law recognises only the four lawmakers who remained in PDP as the only legitimate members of the State Assembly.
He said, there is no party crisis or other valid situations to justify the defection.
Wokocha added that the defection has opened a new chapter for the crisis in the state.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has weighed in on the crisis rocking the Rivers state assembly.
The foremost constitutional lawyer said the Rivers state lawmakers whose seats were declared vacant were unexposed to sound legal advice.
Falana made this assertion in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
According to the senior lawyer, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is required by law to conduct elections for the seats of the lawmakers and once the Supreme Court rules on any matter, it is final and the lawmakers will have to comply.
He added that declaring the defected lawmakers seats vacant in the Rivers Assembly, was in line with Nigeria’s constitution.
Falana explained thus: “The legislators were not exposed to sound legal advice. Everybody should know that once the Supreme Court has made a pronouncement on a matter in any country, you’re bound to comply, and if you’re going to take any decision, you must study the judgement critically.
“Just yesterday, 20 legislators who defected from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, had their seats declared vacant by the court. That’s the law; unless the Supreme Court decides to change it, that is the law in Nigeria today.
“It’s also a good development; it’s a good law; it’s a good interpretation that there should be no political prostitution in the country because it’s tantamount to political immorality if you vote on the platform of a political party and you abandon the party; you’re advised to go and try your luck by contesting again under the new political party.”
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Rivers political crisis took a new turn on Wednesday morning, December 13, as at least 10 bulldozers moved to the state assembly complex and started demolishing the building.
This came as Ehie led other lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to hold plenary in the early morning before the demolition.
