Nollywood actor and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has urged 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).
Governor Diri announced his resignation from the PDP on Wednesday, along with some members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly. The development has fueled speculation that the governor may be preparing to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While addressing the press after his decision, Diri explained that his resignation was due to “obvious reasons” but did not go into further details. His Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, confirmed in a statement that the announcement was made during an expanded State Executive Council meeting at the Government House in Yenagoa.
The meeting was attended by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, his deputy, Michael Ogbere, and several lawmakers. According to Alabrah, the governor reached the decision after wide consultations with stakeholders in the state.
Okay News reports that Diri thanked his supporters for their loyalty and urged them to remain steadfast as his administration continues to pursue the development of Bayelsa State. However, the governor did not mention whether his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, had also resigned, as the latter was absent from the meeting.
Reacting to the development, Okonkwo said Diri’s resignation meant he no longer belonged to any political party, and as such, he had lost his eligibility to remain in office.
Quoting Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Okonkwo said that a person is only qualified to serve as governor if he is “a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.”
According to him, Diri cannot remain in office without party affiliation, as “an elected member of government can only defect from one party to another, but cannot be partyless at any time.”
He therefore called on INEC to “declare his seat vacant immediately and conduct a fresh election in Bayelsa State within 90 days.”
