Actor-turned-politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare the Bayelsa governorship seat vacant following the resignation of Governor Douye Diri from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Okonkwo, in a statement posted on Wednesday, argued that by leaving the PDP without joining another political party, Governor Diri had effectively ceased to be a valid officeholder under the law.
Quoting Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, he stated that every elected official must belong to a political party to retain their mandate.
“The position of the law is clear — every elected member of government must be a member of a political party. Governor Diri, being not a member of any political party, has lost his seat as governor,” Okonkwo said.
He added that while the constitution permits elected officials to defect from one party to another, it does not recognize being “partyless” at any point in time.
Okonkwo therefore urged INEC to “declare his seat vacant immediately and conduct a gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State within the next 90 days.”
Governor Diri had earlier announced his resignation from the PDP, though he is yet to declare for another political party.
