The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, has reiterated that the legislative seats of factional Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 24 other members are vacant due to their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Assembly insists that these seats should be filled through by-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This situation follows the Amaewhule-led Assembly’s recent declaration of vacancies for four pro-Fubara lawmakers, including Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, who had been absent from sessions for 152 days.
During a plenary session, Amaewhule remarked that Ehie did not properly inform the House about his new position, which resulted in his seat being declared vacant. He also pointed out that Oko-Jumbo and the others were absent without notice for an extended period, which violates the 1999 Constitution.
The Amaewhule-led House held three separate votes to declare these seats vacant. In response, Oko-Jumbo stated that the 25 legislative seats were initially declared vacant on December 13, 2023, by the then-recognized Speaker, Edison Ehie. He expressed frustration over INEC’s delay in organizing by-elections to fill these vacancies and criticized the commission for allowing Amaewhule and his associates to create unnecessary distractions.
Oko-Jumbo highlighted that the defection of Amaewhule and 24 others was well-documented and legally affirmed in an affidavit. He asserted that the declaration of their seats as vacant by the previous Speaker remains unchallenged in court. He emphasized that he and the current members of the Assembly have been actively conducting legislative business, including passing resolutions and screening commissioner nominees.
In his statement, Oko-Jumbo firmly rejected any claims by Amaewhule and his group, asserting that they no longer hold membership in the Assembly and lack the authority to declare seats vacant. He urged INEC to promptly carry out the necessary by-elections and called on the public to disregard Amaewhule’s remarks.
Lastly, it is noted that the Amaewhule-led Assembly had previously suspended Oko-Jumbo and others following disturbances in the Assembly, but it remains uncertain if these suspensions were lifted before the declaration of the seats’ vacancy.
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