Justice Osai Ahiakwo, an attorney practicing in Calabar, is pleading with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to call fresh elections to fill the 27 seats left unfilled in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
This appeal comes after MPs defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) more than a week ago.
Ahiakwo emphasizes that the interested party should formally request INEC to schedule a fresh election, adhering to constitutional and electoral laws.
In an interview, Ahiakwo commends President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for using alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms to encourage the involved parties to resolve the Rivers crisis.
He asserts that the President's intervention aligns with the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
Ahiakwo advises the disputants to withdraw pending court cases, asserting that once withdrawn, the contested issues would lose legal standing.
He notes that, as of his legal knowledge, no court has issued a final judgment in the ongoing cases before the Justices, emphasizing that what's perceived as court judgments are interim orders pending final determination.