The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Enugu State chapter, has called on the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission, ENSIEC, to immediately conduct a bye-election election to fill the seats of the 260 councillors in the state.
It said the seats of the councillors were now vacant by virtue of their defection from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The PDP also vowed to institute a lawsuit to restrain further payment of salaries to the councillors.
PDP’s stand was contained in a statement made available to journalists on Friday, signed by Dr. Godwin Udibe, Caucus Chairman and Hon. Chief Barr John Nwobodo, Caucus Secretary.
According to the party, the continued stay in office by the councillors is illegal and unlawful.
It quoted Section 24 (1)(d) of the Local Government Law No. 13, 2020, which provides that: "A member of a Local Government Council shall vacate his seat in the Council -
(d) being a person whose election was sponsored by one political party, he resigns from that party or becomes a member of the other political party before the expiration of the period for which the Local Government Council was elected."
The PDP said in order to forestall wasteful spending of public funds on erstwhile Councillors, “we shall immediately approach the Court to seek an order restraining the government from paying salaries to the councillors.”
