Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking conduct of fresh elections in 25 state constituencies.

It would be recalled that the Ehie-led lawmakers, who are loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, had last Wednesday passed a resolution declaring the seats of the 25 members of the House, who dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) vacant.

The 25 lawmakers, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, had earlier on Monday announced their defection to the APC, citing unresolvable crisis within the national leadership of PDP.

Ehie, in a letter addressed to INEC national chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, dated December 15, 2023, said the declaration of the 25 seats vacant was in pursuant to Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

The letter reads in part: “I write to formally bring to your notice vacancies in the seat of the under-listed constituencies and membership pursuant to Section 109(1)(g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

“The under-listed members who represented the respective constituencies indicated against their names jointly and severally decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under whose platform they were elected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023.

“As a result in accordance with Section 109(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and by Resolution of the House at the 90th Legislative Sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly, held on December 13, 2023, their seats were declared vacant.

“Consequently, I write on behalf of the Rivers State House of Assembly to kindly request for a by-election to be conducted to fill the vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.”