A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, led by Edwin Woko, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to urgently schedule elections to fill 27 vacant positions in the State House of Assembly.

The seats, according to Woko were left unoccupied after the lawmakers defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2023.

In a statement on Tuesday, Woko reminded INEC of a formal request from the party’s acting National Chairman, urging the commission to conduct elections for the vacant seats.

Woko’s requests followed Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s presentation of the N1.1 trillion 2025 budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, on Monday.

He commended the governor for adhering to constitutional provisions by presenting the budget to what he described as the only “legally recognized and functional Assembly” in Rivers State.

According to Woko, the 27 defected lawmakers, under the leadership of Martins Amewhule, ceased their legislative duties in accordance with Section 109(g) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, as amended.

The faction reiterated its support for Governor Fubara, praising his adherence to the law and his focus on governance despite the challenges posed by the Assembly’s reduced membership.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has remained factionalized, following the attempted impeachment of Governor Fubara on October 30, 2023, and the subsequent defection of 27 state lawmakers led by Amaewhule.

The crisis within the state Assembly became public knowledge after an explosion rocked the hallowed chamber of the Assembly.

While the 27 lawmakers remain loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, three lawmakers, formerly four, following the appointment of Edison Ehie as Chief of Staff to the Governo, remain loyal to Governor Fubara.

The 27 lawmakers have, however, denied their defection, claiming that the videos circulating about their defection during plenary was AI-generated.

Rivers PDP faction urges INEC to conduct elections for 27 vacant assembly seats