As the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some local government chairmen in the state continue to beat the impeachment drum, a pro-Governor Siminalayi Fubara has been elected speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Victor Oko-Jumbo was selected speaker on Wednesday by the Pro-Fubara lawmakers in opposition to the lawmakers loyal to the immediate Governor of the state, Nyesom Wike.
His election comes 24 hours after Chief Tony Okocha, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC) in Rivers, directed the lawmakers loyal to Wike, Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to impeach the governor.
Speaking after his emergence, after 10pm, Oko-Jumbo said, “This is in line with Section 92(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (CFRN 1999) as Amended.
“You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule.
“These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Party (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023.
“Consequently, the Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999.
“My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers.”
He emphasised, “All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by virtue of the judgement of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169.
“Lord Denning held in that case that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Particularly, Lord Denning stated: ‘If an act is void, then it is in law a nullity. It is not only bad, but incurably bad. There is no need for an order of court to set it aside.
“‘It is automatically null and void without more ado, though it is sometimes more convenient to have the court declare it to be so’.”
He added that every proceeding which was founded on the activities of the former lawmakers had become ‘bad and incurably bad’.
“You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will collapse.”
He called on the Executive arm, the Judiciary and the general public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the assembly he called ‘illegal assembly members’.
The PDP had also said by virtue of the defections of the lawmakers loyal to Wike to the APC, they abdicated their position and their positions had been made vacant.
According to the new speaker, all the actions taken by the defected lawmakers amounted to nothing but an exercise in futility, adding that “this House would want to most respectfully urge and call on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, DSSRS, to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers, in whatever guise.
“Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023.
“This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members, and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, let me thank you once again.
“I know I can count on your unalloyed and unwavering support as we work with His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in moving our dear Rivers State forward in promoting the progress and welfare of the State.”
He re-emphasised that, “We will sit again, and communicate our proceedings to the public and make sure that we are doing what we ought to do to ensure there is transparency and clarity of leadership of the 10th Legislative Assembly.”