The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo and a faction loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has rejected a resolution by a rival faction led by Martin Amaewhule, loyalists of former Governor Nyesom Wike, which barred the governor from spending public funds….CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>

During the plenary on Tuesday, July 16, Oko-Jumbo described the resolution as unfounded and lacking legal validity.

According to Channels TV, He argued that Amaewhule and 24 other former members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023 are no longer members of the Assembly.

The Punch reported that the Speaker cited the constitution’s section on defection, which he said is self-executing and was further enforced by a court-recognized Speaker, Edison Ehie, who declared the 25 seats vacant.

Governor Fubara presented the appropriation bill to the House, passed and signed into law under former Speaker Edison Ehie.

According to Oko-Jumbo, the house is now awaiting the presentation of the medium-term expenditure framework for the 2025 fiscal year.

Oko-Jumbo urged the public to ignore Amaewhule’s pronouncement and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election to fill the 25 vacant seats in the house.

The Amaewhule-led faction had given the governor a seven-day ultimatum to present his budget before the House, leading to the shutdown of all expenditures on Monday, July 15.

The dispute highlights a deepening political rift in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
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