A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress and Nollywood actor, Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the seat of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, vacant following his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that Diri resigned from the PDP alongside members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly on Wednesday, sparking speculation that he may be set to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The governor, who said his resignation was for “obvious reasons,” did not elaborate on his grievances with the party.

The governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, in a statement on Wednesday, said the governor “made the announcement during an expanded State Executive Council meeting in Government House, Yenagoa, which had in attendance Speaker of the House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere, his deputy, Michael Ogbere, the All Progressives Grand Alliance minority leader, Edward Brigidi and seven other lawmakers.”

According to the statement, Diri decided to quit the PDP after extensive consultations with leaders of the state.

He thanked his supporters who have stood firmly with him and his government, urging them to continue as he builds a strong and vibrant Bayelsa.

However, the governor did not mention the resignation of his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who was absent at the meeting, in his announcement.

In a post on his Instagram page on Wednesday night, Okonkwo argued that Diri had automatically vacated his seat as governor by resigning from his party and not belonging to any political party.

Okonkwo cited Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which stipulates that a person shall be qualified for election to the office of governor if he is “a member of a political party and is sponsored by that political party.”

He stated that INEC should act without delay, declaring the seat vacant and organising a fresh election within three months.

Okonkwo wrote, “Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has just vacated his seat as governor by resigning from the PDP and not belonging to any party.

“The position of the law is that every elected member of the government must be a member of a political party, as provided in Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution.

“Governor Diri, being not a member of any political party, has lost his seat as governor. An elected member of government can only defect from one party to another, but cannot be partyless at any point in time.

“I therefore call on INEC to declare his seat vacant immediately and conduct a gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State within the next 90 days.”

The newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, is currently appearing before the Senate for his screening and confirmation.

Amupitan, who arrived at the National Assembly complex earlier and exchanged pleasantries with Senators, was accompanied to the chamber by the Governor of Kogi State, Ahmed Ododo, and other dignitaries.

At about 12:50 p.m., the nominee was ushered into the Senate chamber by the Presidential Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abubakar Lado, and was already seated ahead of the commencement of the exercise.

Amupitan was allowed into the hallowed chamber after the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), moved that Order 12 be set aside to allow strangers into the chamber, and he was seconded by the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro (PDP, Benue South).

Senate President Godswill Akpabio welcomed Amupitan, his family members, and well-wishers to the Red Chamber, commending them for their presence.

Before introducing himself to the Senators for the question and answer session to take off, Akpabio disclosed to his colleagues that the nominee had been cleared by the office of the National Security Adviser after vetting.

According to Akpabio, the office of the Department of State Services had also cleared him.

The Senate President also said that the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, having done a fingerprint search on him, he was cleared him and said that he had no criminal records with the Police.

The screening exercise commenced at about 12:55 p.m. following Akpabio’s opening remarks, during which he outlined the procedures to be followed by the lawmakers in considering the nominee’s credentials.

PUNCH Online earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu had nominated Amupitam, a Professor of Law from the University of Jos, to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who resigned from his position.

The President’s letter conveying Amupitan’s nomination was read on the floor of the Senate by Akpabio during plenary on Tuesday.

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Jos, Amupitan, is widely regarded for his expertise in constitutional and international law.

His appointment has, however, generated mixed reactions from civil society groups and political stakeholders, with some calling for reforms that will strengthen the independence and transparency of the electoral body.

The screening session is expected to focus on Amupitan’s vision for credible elections, his plans for institutional reforms within INEC, and measures to deepen the use of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process.

If confirmed by the Senate, Amupitan will oversee preparations for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and lay the groundwork for the 2027 general elections.

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