PDP Sends Strong Warning To Pro-Wike Lawmakers
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the 27 sacked Rivers State House of Assembly members who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023, against actions and utterances that will lead to disruption of peace and governance in the state.
The party which issued the warning on Wednesday in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to check subversive acts of the lawmakers and take appropriate actions.
Ologunagba said, “The Party counsels the former lawmakers to wake up to the reality that they are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by virtue of the self-executory provision of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and as such cannot gather or issue any notice to the State Governor in the capacity of members of Rivers State House of Assembly.”
The PDP’s caution followed the seven-day ultimatum issued by the 27 sacked lawmakers to the Rivers State, Governor Siminialayi Fubara to re-present the state’s 2024 budget which has been passed and signed into law.
The PDP national leadership said, “This action by these individuals seeking to assume the powers of the Rivers House of Assembly is apparently with the intention to cause a crisis, undermine and disrupt the democratic and constitutional order in the state in clear violation of Section 1 sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
“Having irretrievably lost their seats upon their defection from the PDP, the political Party platform upon which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, they cannot enjoy the powers, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“The PDP charges the Inspector General of the Police to note the subversive action of these former lawmakers and take immediate action to protect the Institution of Democracy, peace and security in Rivers State.
“The Party calls on the people of Rivers State to remain vigilant, law-abiding and continue to work together for the continued stability, peace and delivery of democracy dividends in Rivers State on the platform of the PDP,” it added.
The lawmakers who defected to the APC from the PDP are loyal to Governor Fubara’s predecessor and current Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
