African Democratic Congress chieftain and Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the seat of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, vacant following his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Diri had on Wednesday announced his resignation from the PDP alongside members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, sparking speculation that he might be preparing to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor, who cited “obvious reasons” for his decision, did not provide details about his grievances with the party.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, Diri was said to have made the announcement during an expanded State Executive Council meeting at Government House, Yenagoa.
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The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, his deputy, Michael Ogbere, the All Progressives Grand Alliance minority leader, Edward Brigidi, and seven other lawmakers.
According to the statement, the governor’s decision came after extensive consultations with political leaders in the state.
He thanked his supporters for their steadfast loyalty and urged them to continue supporting his administration as he worked to build a stronger Bayelsa.
However, the statement made no mention of the deputy governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who was absent from the meeting.
Reacting to the development, Okonkwo said Diri had automatically vacated his seat as governor by resigning from his party without joining another.
Quoting Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Okonkwo argued that an individual is only qualified to hold the office of governor if he “is a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.”
He urged INEC to act swiftly by declaring the Bayelsa governorship seat vacant and conducting a fresh election within 90 days.
Okonkwo wrote on Instagram, “Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has just vacated his seat as governor by resigning from the PDP and not belonging to any party.
“The position of the law is that every elected member of the government must be a member of a political party, as provided in Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.
“Governor Diri, being not a member of any political party, has lost his seat as governor. An elected member of government can only defect from one party to another but cannot be partyless at any point in time.
“I therefore call on INEC to declare his seat vacant immediately and conduct a gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State within the next 90 days.”