The Rivers State House of Assembly has declared a recent resolution by Martin Amaewhule and 24 others as illegal, stating that they have no constitutional rights to make laws for Rivers State after defecting to the All Progressive Congress in December 2023.
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“The resolution by Amaewhule and 24 others is illegal, and we urge the public to discountenance it,” said Speaker Rt Hon Victor Oko Jumbo. “They have no legal capacity or moral basis to pass any valid resolution or enact any legislation for the state.”
Jumbo pointed out that Amaewhule and 24 others defected from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 1, 2023, and their seats were declared vacant by the then-Speaker, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, on December 13, 2023.
“We are the authentic Rivers State House of Assembly, recognized by law, and we urge INEC to expedite preparations for a bye-election to fill the vacant seats,” Jumbo said.
The Speaker also faulted Amaewhule’s attempt to legitimize their actions based on section 122 of the 1999 Constitution, noting that Governor Fubara had already presented and passed the 2024 Appropriation Bill.
“We are awaiting the presentation of the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for the next 3 financial years, and we will prepare for the 2025 fiscal year,” Jumbo added.