The factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo has declared that the State Assembly is appealing the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on the jurisdiction of Rivers State High Court to hear the matter on suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, describing it as a miscarriage of justice.
Oko-Jumbo disclosed on Friday during plenary at Government House, that the House has directed its legal team to urgently proceed to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling by the Appeal Court.
Recall that the Court of Appeal recently struck out an order of Interlocutory Injunction barring Amaewhule and 24 others from parading themselves as lawmakers, citing lack of jurisdiction, while Oko-Jumbo and others maintained that the Court did not declare the defectors' membership status.
While providing “clarity” on the status of former members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023, Oko-Jumbo recalled that on December 11, 2023, Martin Amaewhule and 24 others defected from the PDP to the APC, prompting former Speaker, Edison Ehie, to declare their seats vacant on December 13, 2023.
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This declaration, Oko-Jumbo emphasized, has not been set aside by any court in Nigeria.
He, however, noted that despite their defection and vacant seats, Amaewhule and others continued to parade themselves as members of the RSHA, leading to a lawsuit filed by legitimate members of the House.
He stressed that the Court of Appeal's judgment did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 24 others did not defect from the PDP to APC, nor did it declare them members of the RSHA, revealing that the RSHA has challenged the lower court's decision at the Supreme Court.
The Speaker revealed that their lawyers have filed an appeal at the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the Court of Appeal's judgment.
He averred that contrary to speculations that the Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule & 24 others did not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress neither did the Appeal Court also declare them as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He emphasized that there cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State or indeed any state in Nigeria, and therefore, the House of Assembly with him as Speaker is the only legitimate one in the state.
He reaffirmed that Martin Amaewhule and 24 others are no longer members of the RSHA until a court of competent jurisdiction rules otherwise.
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The Speaker once again called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats in the RSHA. He urged the general public to ignore Martin Amaewhule and 24 others, who are pretending to be members of the RSHA.
“Once again, we, the legitimate Members of the RSHA hereby call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to promptly conduct a Bye Election to fill the vacant seats in the RSHA.”
“We strongly urge the general public to ignore Martin Amaewhule & 24 others in their pretence that they are members of the RSHA”
Two bills; the Rivers State Transport Company Reform Bill 2024 and Rivers State Emergency Management Bill 2024 passed the first reading of the State House of Assembly.
