The Rt. Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Rivers State Home of Meeting, loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has accused the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) of foot-dragging in conducting by-election into 25 seats allegedly declared vacant by the Home.
Oko-Jumbo alleged that 25 members of the Home, led by Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule, misplaced their seats after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Celebration (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recall that the Amaewhule-led lawmakers, who’re loyal to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, had throughout their sitting on Tuesday declared the seats of 4 lawmakers, loyal to Fubara as vacant.
The professional-Wike lawmakers additionally wrote to INEC in search of for the conduct of a by-election to fill the alleged vacant positions in Bonny, Okrika, Ahoada-East 11 and Ahoada-West Constituencies within the State Home of Meeting.
However, in a press release issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday evening, Oko-Jumbo insisted that the seats of Amaewhule and others have to be crammed via by-election carried out by INEC in keeping with the provisions of the Structure.
He acknowledged that the shortcoming of INEC to do the needful since December 13, 2023, has created room for pointless distractions from Amaewhule and his committee of mates, and known as on the fee to discharge its constitutional tasks to the folks of the state.
The assertion reads partly; “Please, recall that on the eleventh day of December, 2023, Martin Chike Amaewhule and 24 others defected from the Peoples Democratic Celebration that sponsored their election into the Rivers State Home of Meeting, to the All Progressives Congress. Their defection was headline information and extensively reported in print and digital media.
“On the thirteenth day of December, 2023, the defection by Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 others was additional cemented in an affidavit deposed to by Martin Chike Amaewhule, when in Swimsuit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023, Martin Chike Amaewhule & 26 Ors v. INEC & 5 Ors. in paragraphs 15 thereof, he deposed as follows: ‘That confronted with the state of uncertainty and confusion within the 2nd defendant (Peoples Democratic Celebration) attributable to division within the political social gathering, the Plaintiffs had been compelled by the state of affairs inside the 2nd defendant to defect and be part of the All Progressives Congress (APC).’
“On the thirteenth day of December, 2023, Rt. Honourable Edison Ogerenye Ehie, as then Speaker, declared the seats of Martin Chike Amaewhule and 24 others within the Rivers State Home of Meeting vacant, and known as on the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC) to conduct bye-election to fill their vacant legislative seats. This has not been challenged and put aside by any court docket of legislation.
“Subsequently, I used to be elected because the Speaker of the Rivers State Home of Meeting. Myself and the Members of the Rivers State Home of Meeting have been piloting the affairs of the Rivers State Home of Meeting, together with passing resolutions and screening varied eminent individuals as commissioner-nominees and recommending them to His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State to be appointed and sworn-in as Commissioners, amongst others.
“Fact and info are fixed, sacrosanct and indelible. The very fact of the defection by Martin Chike Amaewhule and 24 Ors can’t be erased by pretenders like Martin Chike Amaewhule and his committee of mates.
“As we speak, the fifteenth day of October, 2024, Martin Chike Amaewhule & 24 Ors who ceased to be members of the Rivers State Home of Meeting, on December 11, 2023, purportedly declared vacant the legislative seats of Rt. Honourable Victor Oko-Jumbo and others as members of the Rivers State Home of Meeting. They haven’t any such powers. That is an train in futility. It’s a joke taken too far.
“Because the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the Rivers State Home of Meeting, I name on INEC to instantly conduct bye-election to fill the legislative seats declared vacant on December 13, 2023. I additionally name on Nigerians and the nice folks of Rivers State specifically, to disregard the vituperations and ranting of Martin Chike Amaewhule and his committee of mates.
“They don’t seem to be members of the Rivers State Home of Meeting to not speak of getting the powers to declare vacant the legislative seats of professional Meeting members, who’ve remained steadfast and didn’t defect like them.”
