The faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections to replace members of the Assembly faction loyal to ex-governor, Nyesom Wike.
The pro-Fubara lawmakers, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo as Speakers, insisted that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, had lost their seats in the Assembly following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
The Rivers Assembly became factionalised last year at the onset of the face-off between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Wike.
On Tuesday, the pro- Fubara lawmakers dismissed the resolution passed by the pro-Wike lawmakers barring Governor Fubara from withdrawing money from the state’s Consolidated Revenue Account over his refusal to present the 2023 budget afresh.
Health 360: Cholera0:02 / 1:01
The pro-Wike lawmakers passed the resolution on Monday following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum they gave Fubara to bring the 2024 budget before them.
Fubara had insisted that he would not bring the budget before them because, according to him, they had lost their legislative seats and ceased to be lawmakers following their defection from the PDP to the APC last year.
Canvassing the same argument on Tuesday, the Speaker of the pro-Fubara Assembly, Oko-Jumbo, described the demand for budget presentation by the other lawmakers as illegal.
Oko-Jumbo, while speaking before the commencement of sitting in Government, Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the seats of the pro-Wike lawmakers had been declared vacant on December 13, 2023, when Edison Ehie, who was ‘then the duly recognised Speaker’ of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, was sworn in.
A statement by the Clerk to the Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly, Dr G. M. Gillis-West, quoted the Speaker as saying: “The House states as follows: On the 11th Day of December 2023, at the 87th Legislative sitting of the House, former Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and the 24 former members defected from the Peoples’ Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
“By virtue of Section 109(1) (g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, which are self-executing, and consequent upon their defection on the 13th Day of December, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, as the then duly recognised Speaker of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, by virtue of a court order granted by Hon Justice Danagogo on the 12th Day of December 2023, in Suit No. PHC/3030/CS/2023, and pursuant to Section 109(2) of the 1999 Constitution, declared their seats vacant.”
Oko-Jumbo said it was laughable to have heard and seen the news of the illegal sitting of the pro-Wike lawmakers on July 15, 2024.
“Consequent upon constitutional provisions and the declaration of their seats vacant, the recognised 10th Rivers State House of Assembly is the one led by Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
“Thus, the Rivers State Government has ceased paying any form of salaries, allowances or statutory remunerations to the former members.
“The 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, which is the legitimate House under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo is the only one recognised by law and the Rivers State Government, and thus, has been receiving all statutory allocations due the House of Assembly.
“And has been discharging its financial obligations by paying the salaries of the recognised Honourable members of the House, their aides, and allowances of the public servants in the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
Oko-Jumbo said Amaewhule and the 24 ex-lawmakers had hinged their resolution on Section 122 of the 1999 Constitution, which empowers a state governor to continue to make appropriations for six months, from the budget of the previous fiscal year, where for any reason, he was unable to present an Appropriation Bill to the House.
He noted, “May I remind the defected members that His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of the then Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, and it was duly passed on the 13th Day of December 2023 and assented to on the 14th Day of December 2023.
“This House awaits to receive from His Excellency, the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework for the next three financial years, pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers State Fiscal Responsibility Law, No. 8 of 2010, in order to prepare for the 2025 fiscal year.
“The general public is, therefore, called upon to disregard and ignore those misguided former members, and also discountenance their illegal actions.
“I once again call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to expedite preparations towards the conduct of a bye-election to fill the vacant seats created in the Rivers State House of Assembly by the defection of Martin Amaewhule and 24 others.