Fourteen Peoples Democratic Party members who lost in the March 9, 2019 election have called on the Independent National Electoral Committee to swear them in to replace the All Progressives Congress members who won but have refused to be sworn in.
In a statement on Wednesday by the leader of the group, Igbas Ezehi and nine others, said the case of the 14 APC members was a closed one.
The statement read, “To continue to discuss their fate will amount to a slap on the integrity of our nation indicative of the misnomer that some few can take the country for granted due to their internal party disagreement. This is a precedent that must not be encouraged in our socio-political development as a nation.
“The certificates of return issued to them have stalled and therefore must be withdrawn forthwith.
“Nature abhors vacuum. Therefore, an urgent solution must be sought to ensure the four years of the rightful legislative representation of the 14 constituencies are not wasted.
“We believe the option left now for 12 seats is to apply the globally accepted doctrine of necessity to resolve the logjam.
“The candidates that came second in the election should be sworn in to replace those who refused to be inaugurated. For the two seats of those who were sworn in but refused to continue to sit, INEC should immediately conduct another election.
“In the alternative, INEC should immediately put in place the process to ensure another election is conducted in the entire 14 constituencies.”
