Fubara loyalists to challenge Court of Appeal ruling on Rivers Assembly

A faction in the Rivers State House of Representatives led by Victor Oko-Jumbo on Friday vowed to challenge the Court of Appeal ruling declaring Martins Amaewhule as the legitimate speaker of the House.

Oko-Jumbo, the chairman of the House faction loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stated this at a House of Representatives session in Port Harcourt.

The Abuja Court of Appeal on Thursday quashed an order barring Amaewhule from appearing as speaker of the Rivers State House of Representatives.

The three-member appeal court panel led by Justice Jimi Kayode-Bada also lifted an order stopping Amaewhule and 25 other lawmakers from impersonating members of the House.

The court ruled that the Rivers State High Court had no jurisdiction to deal with matters relating to the defection of lawmakers.

READ ALSO: Court declares seats of 25 DPRD members who moved to APC vacant

However, Oko-Jumbo said the panel strongly believed the appeals court was wrong to say the state high court could not handle such matters.

He said: “I remain the legitimate speaker of the Rivers State House of Representatives, there cannot be two Houses of Representatives in any state, not in Rivers.”

He emphasized that Amaewhule’s seat and 24 other DPR member seats were declared legally vacant by the DPR Speaker at that time, Edison Ehie.

“On December 13, 2023, their seats were declared vacant following their defection from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on December 11, 2023.

“The statement made by the then speaker, Edison Ehie, has not been overturned by any court in Nigeria.

“The assembly issued an order banning Martins Amaewhule and 24 other MPs from appearing as speakers and members of the assembly.

“The Court of Appeal did not make any statement that Martin Amaewhule and 24 others did not defect from the PDP to the APC. Neither did the Court make any statement that they are still members of the House.

“Despite their pretensions, Martins Amaewhule and 24 others are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Representatives as we speak.”

Fubara loyalists to challenge Court of Appeal ruling on Rivers Assembly first appeared on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.