Victor Oko-Jumbo and his group of lawmakers who are loyal to Governor Siminalyi Fubara, have announced that they have filed an appeal at the Supreme Court against the recent judgment of the Appeal Court delivered on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

Oko-Jumbo emphasized that he remains the Speaker despite the Appeal Court’s decision. He asserted that the Court of Appeal erred in its judgment, which stated that the Rivers State High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024.

Addressing his supporters during a plenary session at their temporary legislative facility in Port Harcourt on Friday, Oko-Jumbo declared his position as the legitimate Speaker, arguing that there could not be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State.

In a statement by Dr. Gillis West, Oko-Jumbo affirmed that the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 24 other former lawmakers remained vacant. This declaration was made by the then factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, on December 13, 2023, following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023.

“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,” Oko-Jumbo stated.

He continued, “As the whole world knows, on December 11, 2023, Martin Amaewhule and his 24 colleagues defected from the PDP to the APC. On December 13, 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, declared their seats vacant. This declaration has not been overturned by any court in Nigeria.”

Oko-Jumbo noted that the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly obtained a restraining order against Martin Amaewhule and the 24 others loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to prevent them from parading as members of the RSHA despite their defection.

He pointed out that Martin Amaewhule and the 24 others had appealed the rulings of the Rivers State High Court in Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024, leading to the Court of Appeal’s decision in Appeal No. CA/PH/198/2024 on July 4, 2024. The Court of Appeal struck out Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024 on jurisdictional grounds but did not rule on the defections themselves.

“We strongly believe the Court of Appeal was in error when it held that the Rivers State High Court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024. Accordingly, we have instructed our lawyers to file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging this judgment,” Oko-Jumbo said.

He reiterated that Martin Amaewhule and the 24 others are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly until a court of competent jurisdiction decides otherwise. He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats.

“We urge the public to ignore Martin Amaewhule and the 24 others pretending to be members of the RSHA,” he added.

During the plenary, the Oko-Jumbo-led assembly considered two bills, opened debate, and moved them through the first reading.