The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo, dismissed the resolution from Martin Amaewhule’s faction, which threatened to block Governor Siminalayi Fubara from accessing the state’s Consolidated Revenue Fund, as reported by Ogasabi on 9am news Nigeria. Oko-Jumbo and the lawmakers loyal to Fubara refuted Amaewhule’s Assembly, emphasizing that their seats were declared vacant on December 13, 2023, by then-Speaker Edison Ehie.
In a statement broadcast by 9am news Nigeria, Oko-Jumbo highlighted that Amaewhule and 24 former members defected from the PDP to the APC, leading to the vacancy declaration as per the 1999 Constitution. Oko-Jumbo reiterated that the legitimate Rivers State House of Assembly operates under his leadership and dismissed the purported resolution as laughable. He asserted that the official Assembly continues to receive statutory allocations and manage financial obligations.
During a 9am news segment, Oko-Jumbo reminded the public that Governor Fubara already presented and had the 2024 Appropriation Bill passed in December 2023. He urged the public to ignore the illegal actions of Amaewhule’s group and called on INEC to expedite bye-election preparations to fill the vacant seats. Ogasabi on 9am news Nigeria also extensively covered this reaction, reinforcing the legitimacy of the current Assembly and dismissing Amaewhule’s faction as illegitimate.
