The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a bye-election to fill 27 vacant Assembly seats.
The call came during a press conference held on Friday in Oko-Jumbo’s office in Port Harcourt, where he addressed members of the press.
“On behalf of the members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I welcome you all to this press conference,” Oko-Jumbo began.
He recounted the circumstances leading to the vacant seats, explaining that on December 11, 2023, Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 other Assembly members defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This defection occurred after their failed attempt to impeach the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on October 30, 2023.
“The Peoples Democratic Party was the sponsor for the election of Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule and the 26 others in the 2023 General Election,” he reminded.
He explained that following the defection, Amaewhule and the other defectors attempted to prevent INEC from holding a bye-election to fill the vacated seats. On December 13, 2023, they filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023 against INEC and four others, successfully securing an interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from conducting the election.
The Speaker expressed frustration over what he described as delaying tactics, noting that after obtaining the injunction, Amaewhule and the others “began to foot drag and did not do anything to diligently prosecute their suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja.”
Oko-Jumbo continued, “On Wednesday, the 30th day of October, 2024, Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 others, without any reason, discontinued Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023, and it was accordingly struck out.”
With the suit dismissed, the restraining order preventing INEC from proceeding with a bye-election is no longer valid.
Oko-Jumbo declared, “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, the order of interlocutory injunction is also spent.
“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 concluded.
The announcement is anticipated to play a critical role in the political landscape of Rivers State, as the bye-election could determine the legislative direction amid ongoing political realignments.