The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Victor Oko-Jumbo and loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has announced that it has appealed to the Supreme Court to contest a recent judgement by the Court of Appeal, as reported by PUNCH.
This announcement was made in a statement from the factional Clerk of the House, Dr. G. M. Gillis-West, released in Port Harcourt. Oko-Jumbo stated that the Assembly believes the Court of Appeal made an error in its ruling that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate SUIT NO. PHC/1512/CS/2024.
Oko-Jumbo maintains his position as the Speaker of the state legislature, asserting that there cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State.
He said, “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.
“As the whole world knows, on the 11th day of December, 2023, Martin Amaewhule and his 24 friends defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress.”
He reaffirmed that the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 24 other former lawmakers, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023, remain vacant. This declaration was made by then-Speaker Edison Ehie, and Oko-Jumbo emphasized that it has not been overturned by any court.
He further explained that the legitimate members of the Rivers State House of Assembly had secured a restraining order against Amaewhule and the others, preventing them from continuing to act as members of the Assembly after their defection. Dissatisfied with the High Court's rulings, Amaewhule and his group had appealed to the Court of Appeal, which ruled on July 4, 2024, that the High Court lacked jurisdiction and struck out the suit.
Oko-Jumbo noted that the Court of Appeal did not declare that Amaewhule and the others did not defect from the PDP to the APC, nor did it confirm their continued membership in the Assembly. Believing the Court of Appeal's decision to be erroneous, the House of Assembly has instructed its lawyers to file an appeal with the Supreme Court.
Oko-Jumbo reiterated that Amaewhule and his group are no longer members of the Assembly until a competent court rules otherwise and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats. He urged the public to disregard any claims by Amaewhule and his group to the contrary.