Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has stated that the 25 Rivers State House of Assembly members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) have automatically forfeited their seats.
Falana’s stance comes amid the political rift between former Governor Nyesom Wike and current Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The Lawyer, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, stated that the lawmakers’ defection to the APC constitutes a violation of the constitution, which prohibits political prostitution among legislators.
He cited a court order restraining the 25 lawmakers from representing themselves as legislators and prohibiting the speaker from identifying as the speaker of the house.
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Falana argued that the Supreme Court has established that lawmakers cannot decamp and remain in the legislative house unless they can demonstrate a national-level division within their party.
He said:
“Unless they are prepared to go back to the people and have their mandate renewed, it may be difficult to persuade the court to allow them to remain in the legislative house.”
Recall that the crisis between Fubara and Wike began last year when the Assembly, dominated by Wike’s loyalists, attempted to impeach the governor.
Subsequently, 27 lawmakers aligned with Wike defected from the PDP to the APC, citing internal division within the PDP as their primary motivation.
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