I Remain the Speaker of Rivers Assembly,” Oko-Jumbo Declares

By Onoja Baba

Victor Oko-Jumbo has affirmed his position as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, emphasising that there cannot be two legislative bodies in the state.

Oko-Jumbo made this assertion in a statement issued on Friday in Port Harcourt by the factional Clerk of the House, Dr. G. M. Gillis-West.

The Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly, which supports Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has announced that it has filed an appeal at the Supreme Court to challenge the recent judgement of the Appeal Court delivered in Abuja.

The Court of Appeal had ruled that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine SUIT NO. PHC/1512/CS/2024.

Oko-Jumbo criticised the Appeal Court’s decision, stating, “There cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State or indeed any State in Nigeria. This House of Assembly, with me as the Speaker, is the only House of Assembly in Rivers State.”

He reiterated that the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 24 other former lawmakers remain vacant, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023.

This declaration was made by the then Speaker, Edison Ehie, on December 13, 2023.

Oko-Jumbo highlighted that the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly secured a restraining order against Amaewhule and the 24 others after their defection.

Despite the Court of Appeal’s ruling, he emphasised that the court did not make any declarations that the defectors were still members of the Assembly.

He explained, “The Court of Appeal struck out Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024 and NOTHING MORE. The Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS did not defect from the PDP to APC.”

Oko-Jumbo stated that the House of Assembly has instructed its lawyers to file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria to challenge the Court of Appeal’s judgement.

He firmly maintained, “Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS, in spite of all their pretences, are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and they remain so until a court of competent jurisdiction says otherwise.”

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to promptly conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats in the Assembly and urged the general public to disregard the claims of Amaewhule and his group.