The PDP said it attention has been drawn to a delusional declaration by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr. Tony Okocha wherein he issued a hallucinatory directive that an impeachment proceeding be commenced against the democratically elected Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara.
It National publicity secretary Hon. Debo Ologunagba, has described such statements by the APC as reckless exposing the vile desperation of the APC, which is roundly rejected in Rivers State, to use violence, coercion and bullying to undermine the WILL of the people and forcefully take over the State.
He further stated the rivers APC chairman can’t direct impeachment proceeding against a duly elected State Governor in a desperation to forcefully annex their democratic rights under the Constitution.
He also stated the current members Rivers State House of Assembly are not legal members and cannot contemplate or exercise such powers under the law.
By virtue of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) have since vacated and lost their seats, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations accountable to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly after their defection from the PDP, the political Party platform upon which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly.
For emphasis, Section 109 (1) (g) of the 1999 Constitution provides that:
“a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political Party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.
It should be noted that Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution is self-executory. The import of this provision is that the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected have vacated their seat by reason of that defection.
The unlawful directive by the Rivers State APC Chairman to these individuals to commence an impeachment proceeding against the Governor is therefore a brazen call for anarchy as it amounts to an attempt to forcefully overthrow a democratic Order in clear violation of Section 1 sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
For clarity, Section 1 Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides;
The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any person or group of persons take control of the government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.
The PDP is also drawing the attention of the Inspector General of Police to the subversive utterances of the APC Chairman in Rivers State which is capable of triggering crisis and derailing the Democratic Order in the country.
The national leadership of the PDP expresses appreciation to the people of Rivers State for always standing with the PDP.