The Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Victor Oko-Jumbo, has condemned a resolution passed by a faction led by Martin Amaewhule, which aimed to prevent Governor Siminalayi Fubara from spending public funds.
Speaker Oko-Jumbo made this declaration during the plenary session on Tuesday, denouncing the actions of Amaewhule and 24 others as baseless and invalid.
Oko-Jumbo emphasized that the Amaewhule-led faction, which he referred to as “former members,” lacks the legal and moral authority to bar the governor from utilizing public funds.
He pointed out that these individuals ceased to be members of the Assembly after their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023.
Citing the constitution, Oko-Jumbo argued that the section addressing defection is self-executing and was further validated when Edison Ehie, legally recognized by a court as Speaker before Oko-Jumbo’s assumption, declared the 25 seats vacant.
He stated, “Amaewhule and 24 others are not members of the Assembly, following their defection from the PDP to the APC.”
Oko-Jumbo assured that the Assembly he leads is the legally recognized body managing the statutory allocation of the house.
He explained that Governor Fubara had presented the appropriation bill to the house when Edison Ehie was the speaker, which was subsequently passed and signed into law.
The Assembly is currently awaiting the presentation of the medium-term expenditure framework for the 2025 fiscal year.
In response to the Amaewhule faction’s actions, Oko-Jumbo urged the public to disregard their pronouncement and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct bye-elections promptly to fill the 25 vacant seats in the house.
This condemnation follows an action on Monday by the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly, which sought to shut down all expenditures by the Rivers State governor. This move came after the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum given to the governor to present the 2024 budget to the House.
The faction voted to close the Rivers State Consolidated Revenue Account, effectively preventing Governor Fubara’s administration from spending state funds.
Governor Fubara had previously presented the budget to a set of lawmakers loyal to him, led by Edison Ehie, who is now the governor’s chief of staff. These lawmakers passed the budget estimates, which were then signed into law by Fubara.
The situation remains tense as the Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly asserts its authority and legitimacy, while the Amaewhule faction’s actions continue to stir controversy.