Rivers State House of Assembly Responds to Defection and Seat Vacancy Dispute
In a press statement issued on Tuesday15th Oct, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Victor Oko Jumbo addressed the ongoing dispute surrounding the defection of Martin Chike Amaewhule and 24 other legislators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This defection, which occurred on December 11, 2023, had been widely reported, and shortly after, the former Speaker, Rt. Honourable Ehie Edison, declared their seats vacant on December 13, 2023.
Rt. Honourable Oko Jumbo emphasized that these vacancies were confirmed and remain unchallenged in any court of law. He criticized recent claims by Amaewhule and his group, who, on October 15, 2024, attempted to declare seats vacant for current Assembly members, including Rt. Honourable Victor Oko-Jumbo and others.
The Speaker dismissed their actions as illegitimate and an “exercise in futility,” stating that they no longer have authority within the Assembly since their defection.
He called on INEC to conduct bye-elections to fill the legislative seats declared vacant in December 2023 and urged the public to disregard the statements made by Amaewhule and his group.
“The truth is constant, and the facts of their defection cannot be erased,” Oko Jumbo asserted, reaffirming the legitimacy of the current Assembly members who remained loyal to the PDP.
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