Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara has criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to uphold constitutional provisions on political defections.
He accused INEC, led by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, of selectively enforcing the law, allowing defecting lawmakers to retain their seats despite constitutional stipulations.
Speaking through former Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru at the sixth annual Freedom Online lecture in Lagos, Fubara warned that institutional failures erode democracy.
His remarks come amid a deepening crisis in Rivers State, where 27 lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), aligning with former Governor Nyesom Wike.
Meanwhile, four lawmakers remain loyal to Fubara, intensifying the Assembly’s factional divide.
Fubara’s allies have urged INEC to declare the defectors’ seats vacant and conduct by-elections, but the commission has refused, citing ongoing legal proceedings.
This article was updated 2 weeks ago
