BREAKING: Two Of 27 ‘Wike’s Lawmakers’ Make U-turn, Back Gov Fubara As Rivers Assembly Declares 25 Seats Vacant

Two of the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members who defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC), have reportedly capitulated and reneged on their defection plans.

BIGPEN NIGERIA (https://bigpenngr.com) understands that the lawmakers are, Hon. Tonye Adoki and Hon. Linda Somiari Stewart.

They reportedly made U-turn to back Governor Siminalayi Fubara action on the State House of Assembly few minutes before the court-recognsed Speaker, Edison Ehie, declared vacant the seats of the other 25 members of the House who recently defected.

The 27 lawmakers had on Monday threw their weight behind the former governor of the state and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, dumping the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC in the state as part of the game plan to overwhelmed the house for the governor’s impeachment.

But their defection which left the Fubara’s camp with five-member Assembly, led by court-recognsed Speaker, Edison Ehie, apparently have no visible effect on the functionality of the Assembly as the remaining lawmakers, unperturbed by the defection moves, on Wednesday, met over the 2024 Appropriation Bill presented by the governor.

At the plenary, the Speaker, Hon. Edison Ehie loyal to the state governor, said the decision to declare the seats vacant was in line with Section 109 (1) (g) and 2 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.

The Speaker, who read the names of the lawmakers affected, however, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct a fresh election within the time frame provided by law.

“Distinguished colleagues, the House will duly inform the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly and indeed, to conduct a fresh election to fill the above vacancies,” Ehie declared.

(Additional report from Nigerian Tribune)