Three PDP lawmakers kick as Ebonyi Assembly declares their seats vacant

Ebonyi State House of Assembly has declared the seats of three members of the Assembly elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vacant.

The three lawmakers are Ali Okechukwu (Ishielu North), Franca Okpo Abakaliki North) and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi West).

This followed a letter of resignation purported to have been written by the three lawmakers resigning from their seats.

Speaker of the House, Francis Nwifuru read the letter during an emergency sitting of the House on Tuesday.

The lawmakers and their other five PDP colleagues were not present at the sitting.

Fifteen All Progressive Party (APC) Lawmakers attended the sitting.

Speaker of the House, Francis Nwifuru read the letters on the floor of the House after which he declared the seats of the three lawmakers vacant.

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He also ordered the clerk to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) notifying the commission of the development and the need to conduct fresh elections in the affected constituencies.

But the affected lawmakers maintained that they are still members of the House of Assembly.

Speaking on their behalf in a telephone interview, Mr Victor Aleke described the actions of the speaker and the APC lawmakers as illegal.

According to him, the Speaker and the other APC lawmakers having been sacked by the Federal High Court in Abuja have ceased to be lawmakers and should not have sat in the first place.

“What they have done today by purporting to sit and declare our seats vacant amounts to contempt of court and the court may relate them wanted if care is not taken.

“We have no reason whatsoever to resign our seats. We are still lawmakers representing our various constituencies and we enjoin our supporters and the general public to disregard what they have done,” Mr Aleke said.

Ifedayo Ogunyemi

Ifedayo O. Ogunyemi‎ Senior Reporter, Nigerian Tribune ogunyemiifedayo@gmail.com