Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, spokesperson for the Coalition of House of Representatives members known as the G60 lawmakers, affirmed that the Appeal Court's recent ruling on the Rivers State House of Assembly saga has upheld the declaration of former Speaker Ehi's seat as vacant.

According to Ugochinyere, the Appeal Court explicitly ruled that only the Federal High Court has jurisdiction to adjudicate on the legality of defections, effectively sidelining the Rivers High Court's involvement. He emphasized that the declaration of vacancy by the Rivers State House of Assembly under Ehi's leadership remains valid and unchallenged.

"The Appeal Court's focus was on affirming the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to decide on defection issues, thereby rejecting the proceedings of the Rivers High Court," Ugochinyere explained. "Therefore, the actions taken by the House under Ehi in declaring the seat vacant have not been annulled by any court."

In a report by The Sun, he further commented, "Jumbo continues to hold the position of Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly amidst ongoing legal disputes, confirming that the declaration of vacant seats remains valid and is currently under litigation."