The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed reports suggesting that it refused to accept the resignation of Edison Ehie, former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Ehie, who represented Ahoada-East Constituency II, stepped down from his legislative seat in December 2023 during the height of the Rivers political crisis to assume the role of Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Clarifying the matter, INEC said the controversy stemmed from comments made by Gabriel Yomere, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers, during a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) on September 29.
In a statement issued Wednesday by Geraldine Ekelemu, Acting Head of Voter Education and Publicity, the commission stressed that the reports attributed to Yomere were misleading and had been “misconstrued as a policy statement from the Commission.”
“The Hon. REC was very transparent in his statement that the decision as to the organization of any election lies solely with the Commission’s Headquarters,” the statement read.
INEC explained that it is not empowered to declare a legislative seat vacant or to determine the validity of any resignation.
Instead, the commission acts strictly on formal communication from constitutionally recognized authorities.
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“The decision of INEC on when to conduct a by-election is only conditioned on its receipt of a formal notice from the appropriate authorities recognized by the Constitution, stating that any legislative seat has become vacant,” Ekelemu said.
The electoral body further emphasized that claims it had rejected Ehie’s resignation were “factually incorrect and legally unfounded.”
“INEC does not adjudicate on the validity of a declaration of vacancy. Once it has been signed and transmitted by the authorized legislative authority – in this case, the Rivers State House of Assembly – the Commission will commence the processes required to conduct a by-election in line with constitutional provisions and the Electoral Act,” the statement added.
Ehie’s resignation and subsequent appointment had been a major flashpoint in the protracted political crisis in Rivers State, which continues to shape the dynamics between the legislature and Governor Fubara’s administration.