Pro-Fubara lawmakers to challenge appeal court verdict

The faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo, says it will challenge the verdict of the Appeal Court which declared Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the house.

Oko-Jumbo, the Speaker of the assembly’s faction loyal to Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, disclosed this during a sitting of the house in Port Harcourt in Friday.

It would be recalled that the Appeal Court on Thursday, set aside a decision of the Rivers State High Court which declared that Martins Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers were no longer members of the assembly.

The appeal court held that the Rivers State High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain issues relating to the decampment of lawmakers.

Oko-Jumbo said that the assembly strongly believed that the appeal court was in error by declaring that a state high court could not hear such matter.

“I remain the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, there cannot be two houses of assembly in any state, not in Rivers,” he said.

He further said that the seats of Martins Amaewhule and 24 others lawmakers were validly declared vacant by the then speaker, Edison Ehie.

“On Dec.13, 2023, their seats were declared vacant following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on Dec. 11, 2023.

“That declaration by the then speaker, Edison Ehie has not been set aside by any court in Nigeria,” he Oko-Jumbo said.

The factional speaker further said that the assembly secured an order restraining Martins Amaewhule and the 24 other lawmakers from parading as speaker and members of the assembly.

Oko-Jumbo said that the decision of the appeal court only dwelt on jurisdiction, and did not look at other critical issues such as their decampment to another party.

“The Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 24 others did not defect from the PDP to APC. It did not also make any declaration that they are still members of the house.

“In spite all their pretences, Martins Amaewhule and the 24 others are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as we speak,” he said.

Meanwhile, during the sitting, the Oko-Jumbo-led assembly considered two bills, which were also moved through first reading.

The bills are, the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency Bill, 2024, and the Rivers State Transport Company Reform Bill, 2024.