October 01, (THEWILL) — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Rivers State, has debunked reports that it rejected the resignation of Ehie Ogerenye Edison, the lawmaker representing Ahoada-East State Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
In a statement, signed on Wednesday, by the Acting Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Geraldine Ekelemu, on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Gabriel Yomere, the Commission described the reports as “factually incorrect and legally unfounded”.
The clarification followed claims that INEC had declined to initiate a bye-election to fill the vacant Ahoada-East II seat.
According to the Commission, Prof. Yomere’s comments during a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), Rivers State, on September 29, were wrongly interpreted as a policy directive. INEC explained that the REC merely reiterated that only the Commission’s headquarters can authorise the conduct of elections.
The statement further emphasised that INEC can only act on a formal notice of vacancy transmitted by the appropriate legislative authority — in this case, the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“INEC does not adjudicate on the validity of a declaration of vacancy. Once it has been signed and transmitted by the authorised legislative authority, the Commission will commence the process required to conduct a bye-election in line with constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act”, the statement read.
Edison, a former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and close ally of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, resigned in December 2023, at the height of a political crisis that split the state legislature into rival camps. The crisis was fuelled by a power tussle between Governor Fubara and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
During the standoff, pro-Wike lawmakers moved to impeach Governor Fubara, while Edison’s faction declared him Speaker in defiance of the pro-Wike bloc — leaving the state with two rival Speakers and heightening political tension.
Edison’s resignation was widely seen as an attempt to ease the impasse and open the door for reconciliation between both factions. However, his seat has remained in contention, with growing speculation about when a bye-election will be held.
INEC has now reaffirmed its readiness to conduct the poll once the Rivers State House of Assembly formally declares the seat vacant and communicates the same to the Commission.
It urged the public to disregard misleading reports and restated its commitment to transparency, neutrality, and strict adherence to constitutional provisions in handling electoral matters in Rivers State.
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