By Ayodele Oni
The factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo, has declared that the State Assembly is appealing the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on the jurisdiction of the State High Court to hear the matter on suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, describing it as a miscarriage of justice.
Oko-Jumbo made this known on Friday at the sitting of the Assembly in Port Harcourt, saying that the House has directed its legal team to urgently proceed to the Supreme Court to challenge the ruling by the Appeal Court.
He pointed out that contrary to speculations, the Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 24 others did not defect from the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress, (APC) neither did the Appeal Court also declare them as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Speaker emphasized that there cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State or in any State in Nigeria, adding that Amaewhule and his team in spite of all their pretences are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly in line with the earlier declaration by the Rt. Hon. Ehie Edison which has not been vacated by any Court of competent jurisdiction.
“Once again, we, the legitimate Members of the RSHA hereby call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to promptly conduct a Bye Election to fill the vacant seats in the RSHA.
“We strongly urge the general public to ignore Martin Amaewhule and 24 others in their pretence that they are members of the RSHA”
Two bills, the Rivers State Transport Company Reform Bill 2024 and Rivers State Emergency Management Bill 2024 passed the first reading of the State House of Assembly.
