The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has insisted that the 26 Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers, who defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, were no longer members of the state legislature.
The PDP National Legal Adviser, Adeyemi Ajibade (SAN), said this to newsmen shortly after Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court, Abuja, adjourned the embattled Rivers lawmakers’ suit until January 24, 2024.
Ajibade said though President Bola Tinubu might have intervened in the dispute between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, the party stood on what the constitution says about defection.
He said: “PDP as a party; we are standing on the side of the constitution of the country. It is not about issues of an agreement but by the Constitution, we all sworn to uphold.
“The governor himself swore to uphold the constitution likewise the President.
“I am not against the President calling for the resolution of the matter. He is the chief security officer of this country and he has every right to intervene in the issue.
“But besides that, we, as a political party; the PDP owns those seats and certainly we are interested in those seats.
“Whatever the governor is doing in this matter, no resolution has been brought to Wadata Plaza on this matter.
“However, as a political party, we cannot leave the seats and the votes willingly given to the party by people of Rivers State.”
According to the senior lawyer, aside from that, the Constitution of the country is very clear; Section 109 (1g) is clear as to issues of detection.
He said the affected Rivers lawmakers had not denied that they defected.