Festus Ogwuche, a legal expert, has clarified that the current status quo does not permit the 25 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Amaewhule, to reclaim their seats or revert to their previous positions.
In an interview with Arise News, Ogwuche emphasized that the Constitution recognizes the defection of the lawmakers as a voluntary vacation of their positions, which means they have permanently relinquished their seats. He stressed that the three remaining members cannot constitute a quorum to form the House of Assembly.
In his words;
"The status quo as it is currently does not states that the 25 members of the Rivers House of Assembly led by Amaewhule can go back to their seats or reverts to their position. No, the status quo as it is, is that they've moved on, they've defected, they've jumped ship and the constitution recognizes that fact. Once that issue happens to the effect that a Legislator has vacated his position, he has gone, he has gone. Particularly if it's voluntarily. So the status quo is that those members have not been restored, the three members cannot constitute themselves as House of Assembly as far as I'm concerned"
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