In light of the ongoing political dispute within the Rivers State House of Assembly, former majority leader and lawyer Chidi Lloyd referenced constitutional requirements to argue that the Assembly lacks the necessary quorum to operate following the recent defections. During an interview with Arise News from 11:07, Lloyd clarified that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) mandates a quorum of 23 members in the 32-member Assembly, underscoring that the defected members’ absence should have halted proceedings.
“Let us even assume, though not conceding, that Martins Amaewhule and 26 others defected. At that point, the house cannot continue business,” Lloyd stated. He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should have been notified to conduct elections to fill the vacant seats, ensuring legislative function aligns with constitutional standards. Drawing from his 12 years of experience in the Assembly, Lloyd highlighted the procedural gaps that he believes need addressing to uphold legislative integrity.
In his words;
“Let us even assume though not conceding that Martins Amaewhule and 26 others defected. At that point, the house cannot continue business. The best thing to do was to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct an election because the operation of the house must be in tandem with section 96 of the 1999 constitution as amended, which gives room for quorum and what’s the quorum of a 32-member house. It’s 23 and a half because I was a proud member of that Assembly for 12 years. I left that Assembly as its majority leader for 6 years, so I can tell you what the issues are.”