Key Points
- Okonkwo says a governor must belong to a party. He cites Section 177(c) to back the claim.
- He argues resignation ends Diri’s mandate at once. He wants INEC to start a new poll.
- He asks for a vote within ninety days in Bayelsa. He frames it as a simple legal duty.
Kenneth Okonkwo has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the Bayelsa governorship seat vacant. He made the call after Governor Douye Diri confirmed his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party. Okonkwo says the Constitution requires every elected office holder to belong to a political party.
The actor and politician shared his view in a public post. He argued that a governor can defect to another party but cannot stand partyless at any time. He urged INEC to conduct a fresh gubernatorial election within ninety days and pointed readers to related legal spats such as the Peter Obi ₦1.5bn lawsuit.
What Okonkwo claims the law says
Okonkwo cites Section 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution to support his point. He interprets it to mean party membership is a standing condition of office, not only at election day. He concludes that once a governor becomes partyless, the seat is lost.
What happens next for Bayelsa and INEC
INEC has not issued a formal response to his request at the time of writing. Any next steps would likely weigh constitutional text, court guidance, and precedent. Legal actors may test the claim in court before any election timetable is fixed.
Observers note that party switches by office holders often end in court. They also say courts usually read election rules with care, due to their wide impact. Nigeria’s recent defamation fights, such as Adeyanju reacts to lawsuit, show how fast disputes now move from social posts to filings
