The factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election to fill the 27 seat allegedly vacated by defected members in the State House of Assembly.
Oko-Jumbo leads three of the 31-member Assembly, while Rt. Hon Martin Amaehule leads 26 others.
The lawmaker, who addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt, on Friday, said the call became necessary following the alleged removal of “impediment stopping INEC hitherto, from conducting the bye-election.”
He said, “It is common public knowledge that Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, on their own accord, defected on the 11th day of December 2023, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), without any justifiable cause.”
Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo stated that their defection from the PDP which sponsored their election followed the former lawmakers’ failed attempt to impeach Sir Siminalayi Fubara, as the Executive Governor of Rivers State, on the 30th day of October, 2023.
“To frustrate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting a bye-election to fill the vacated seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Chike Amaewhule & 26 others filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023 against INEC & 4 others on the 13th day of December, 2023.
“Subsequently, an order of Interlocutory Injunction was secured, restraining INEC from conducting a bye-election to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“After filing the said suit and securing the order of Interlocutory Injunction, Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 others began to foot-drag, and did not do anything to diligently prosecute their suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo pointed to the futility of that legal suit that Martin Chike Amaewhule and the 26 others pursued, which they used, invariably, as a cover to delay what must necessarily be done.
“The only impediment to INEC conducting a bye-election to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly was the order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining INEC from conducting a bye-election.
“Now that Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023 has been struck out, and the order of Interlocutory Injunction is also spent.
“Accordingly, as the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I call on INEC to forthwith conduct a bye-election to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly,” he added.
