APP Calls For By-Election In Rivers

The Chairman of Action Peoples Party (APP) in Rivers State, Hon. Sunny Wokekoro, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a by-election to fill the vacant seats of 27 lawmakers who allegedly defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wokekoro expressed concerns that INEC’s delay in conducting the election is exacerbating the political crisis in the state.

He cited a recent court judgment by Justice Sika Aprioku, which dismissed a suit seeking to compel Governor Siminalayi Fubara to re-present the N800 billion 2024 budget to the 27 lawmakers.

The judgment, according to Wokekoro, has confirmed and authenticated the defection of the 27 lawmakers from the PDP to the APC.

The development, he claimed has created vacancies in the Rivers State House of Assembly, which Wokekoro believes must be filled through a by-election.

Wokekoro, while reacting to the recent court judgement by Justice Sika Aprioku that dismissed the suit seeking to compel Governor Siminalayi Fubara to re-present the N800 billion 2024 budget to the aggrieved 27 lawmakers of the State House of Assembly led by Martins Amaewhule.

According to him, the judgement has clearly mentioned that the governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara is in right direction to have presented the 2024 and 2025 budgets to Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo led Assembly.

“As a party we are calling on INEC to immediately conduct another election to the seats vacated by the 27 lawmakers following their defection.

“The party will explore the possibility of legal action to compel INEC to conduct the election if our call is not adhered to.

“The judgement has authenticate and confirmed that the that the Governor has the constitutional right to present both the 2024 and 2025 budgets to Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo” Hon. Wokekoro said.

He furthe reiterates that APP is prepared and optimistic to win all the seats, adding that the party has credible persons that have the capacity.

“Our party is one of the fastest growing party currently in the country it is the party to beat at any election” he stated.

The APP boss noted that the respective constituencies of the defected members are suffering representations in the state house of assembly as presently headed by the Rt.Hon. Victor Oko- Jumbo as he enjoined all political parties to join hands in demanding for INEC to immediately conduct a bye election to fill in the vacant seats occasioned by the defection.

The party chairman use the opportunity to laud the governor’s approach to development, most importantly not borrowing money to execute projects.