The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has received a formal letter from the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, officially notifying it of the existence of 25 vacant seats following the defection of PDP lawmakers to the APC.

Recall that the speaker said last week that he has written INEC to alert the electoral body of the development.

Political Economist NG can confirm that INEC has officially acknowledged receipt of the letter as it has been stamped ‘RECEIVED.’

The Ehie camp of lawmakers who has been recognized by the court as the authentic Rivers Assembly members last week passed the state 2024 Appropriation hours after Governor Sim Fubara presented it to the assembly.

The notification to INEC followed the exit of Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 24 other legislators, leaving their positions open for by-elections as required by law.

This is coming just as a Federal High Court in Abuja, has restrained INEC from conducting fresh election to fill the seats of the 26 Rivers House of Assembly members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

Justice Donatus Okorowo, who gave the ruling in an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the defected lawmakers, Peter Onuh, also restrained the INEC, PDP and the house of assembly from declaring their seats vacant and withdrawing their respective Certificate of Returns pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

Justice Okorowo equally gave “an interim order of injunction restraining all the defendants from interfering with or impeding in any way or attempting to interfere with or impede in any way the performance of the applicants’ official and legislative functions as the speaker, the deputy speaker and members, respectively, of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants/respondents, jointly and or severally, by themselves or their agents, from interfering with or impeding in any way or attempting to interfere with or impede in any way the full enjoyment of the official rights and privileges of the plaintiffs/applicants as the speaker, the deputy speaker and members, respectively, of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 5th and 6th defendant (I-G and DSS), by themselves, officers, subordinates, servants or agents from denying or refusing to provide security for the plaintiffs or howsoever withdrawing their security details or personnel or failing to provide details or personnel or failing to provide adequate security for the plaintiffs/applicants for the purpose of enabling them to continue with the performance of their constitutional legislative and oversight functions pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”