Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct the requisite bye-election to fill the 27 vacant seats of defected members in the State House of Assembly.
The Speaker said the renewed call became pertinent since the legal impediment stopping INEC hitherto, from conducting the bye-election, has been removed.
Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo made the call on Friday when he addressed a press conference in Port Harcourt.
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.
He emphasised that: “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.
Specifically, Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo said that 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 struck out accordingly.
He 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.
“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.
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