Defection: Rivers elders reject order barring INEC from conducting by-elections

The Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum has kicked against a court order barring the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting fresh polls to fill “vacant” seats in the state house of assembly. 

The position of the Rivers elders is contained in a communique signed by Rufus Ada George, a former governor of the state; OP Fingesi, Sara Egbe, Dagogo Fubara, among others. 

BACKGROUND

On December 11, 27 lawmakers said to be loyal to Nyesom Wike, the immediate past governor of the state and minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

On December 12, the PDP asked Edison Ehie, speaker of the Rivers assembly, to declare the lawmakers’ seats vacant.

Consequently, Ehie declared the seats of the lawmakers vacant.

The party also asked the electoral umpire to conduct elections in the affected constituencies.

However, 26 affected lawmakers approached the court seeking to stop their replacement.

INEC, PDP, Rivers assembly, clerk of the state assembly, inspector-general of police and the Department of State Services (DSS) were the first to sixth defendants in the suit.

Delivering a ruling on the ex parte motion, Donatus Okorowo, the presiding judge, barred all six defendants in the case from interfering with the activities of the plaintiffs.

Okorowo further restrained the IGP and DSS “from denying or refusing to provide security to the plaintiffs or withdrawing their security details”.

‘MISUSE OF POWER’

In the communique, the elders criticised the lawmakers for defecting from the PDP, describing their action as a “misuse of power”.

“The Forum condemn in its entirety, the misuse of Rivers people’s political power vested in politicians by the people for personal gains and interest,” the communique reads.

“Hence, we condemn in its entirety, the recent defection of twenty-seven lawmakers without recourse to their constituents.

“The Forum is aware of and thus rejects, the news making the rounds on social media of Forum Shopping And Purchase Of Legal Instruments outside Rivers State to cause crisis in the State, thereby endangering human lives and property.

“The foregoing is disturbing and generating serious tension in Rivers State, and thus giving the Forum great concern.”

The elders repremanded Sim Fubara, governor Rivers, and Wike for ignoring their letter seeking an audience with them to resolve the political crisis in the state.

The forum called on President Bola Tinubu to “consolidate on his earlier intervention” and resolve the Rivers political turmoil as the “consequences of inaction” may have serious repercussions in the Niger Delta region.

In recent weeks, there has been a power tussle between Fubara and Wike, leading to divisions in the state’s political landscape.

The conflict extended to the Rivers house of assembly, polarising the legislature.

Amid the political crisis, several commissioners have resigned from Fubara’s cabinet.