Rivers Govt, State PDP To 27 lawmakers: Move On, You Are no Longer Lawmakers

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has stated that the seats of the 27 lawmakers that left the party remained vacant as declared by the new speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie.

The Public Relations Officer of the PDP in the state, Sidney Tambari Gbara, noted that the lawmakers failed to obey the law, adding that their seats remain vacant.

Gbara said: We are all aware of what is going on in the state and those who are alleging that there is crisis in PDP that led to their defection should prove it.

“I don’t know where the problem is. They are in better position to explain if there is problem in the party or not.

“Yes President Tinubu has done so well to appoint some Rivers sons into positions. Being that as it is, we should all be happy as Rivers people. We have seen appointments, FCT Minister, EDFA, NDDC, Federal Commissioner and other and we believe we will get more.

“On the issues of the decamped lawmakers talking on quorum and no quorum, well I am not a lawyer, but I know that everybody is trying to play to relevance.

“Who is at an advantage must make good use of the opportunity to place himself better. It is politics. It is a game of maneuvering. So any one who has better opportunity moves on.

“Those who defected, their seats have been declared vacant. The truth is that the state must move forward.

“The interest of the state should be paramount. As a party, we have a government in place that is PDP, we must perform so that we can have what to say in the next election.

“We will support whatever thing that will make the state move forward. We are strongly giving our support to the PDP administration in the state.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, said the lawmakers are caught up with law they failed to obey.

Johnson said: “The interpretation in Section 109 ( 1) (g) and form that every Parliamenterian signs clearly states that if you move form your party to another, you loss your seat. The law stands.

“The law you fail to obey cannot protect you. 27 lawmakers, elected by their constituents decided to walk out of their constitutional responsibility. They went out of their assignment on their own volution, they said they have finished. They took the flag of APC. They bid PDP bye. What are they doing in court?

“They have violated the law and left what they are supposed to do as law makers. They did what they shouldn’t do.

“They signed a form for Parliamenterians that when you leave your party, that you will never be a lawmaker. They violated it. Amaehwule and his co-travellers signed the form.

“Saying that they are still members of the Rivers State House of Assembly is a wild goose chase. They are no longer lawmakers.”