…As Court Bars PDP From Holding Congress In Rivers
The Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo has trumped Martin Amaewhule and others who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC over resolutions aimed at stopping the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara from having access to the State funds.
Rt. Hon Oko-Jaja denounced the resolutions of Martin Amaewhule – led faction of the State Assembly on the floor of the House while reading out the resolution of the House, stressing that Rt. Hon Martin Amaewhule and 24 others have no legal rights or moral grounds to pass such a resolution that the Governor is not permitted to use State funds to run the affairs of the State.
He insisted that Rt.Hon Martin Amaewhule and the 24 former members who defected from the PDP to the APC on the 11th December 2023 lost their legal rights to legislate on the State matters the moment they defected and their seats consequently declared vacant by the then Speaker,Edison Ehie premised on section 109, subsection 1g and 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Rt. Hon Victor Oko-Jumbo also argued that based on same constitutional provisions and declaration of their seats vacant, the only recognized Rivers State 10th Assembly is the one led by him.
According to him, Rt. Hon Martin Amaewhule and the other 24 ex -lawmakers hinged their resolution on section 122 of the 1999 constitution that empowers a State Governor only to continue to make appropriation for 6 months from the budget of the previous fiscal year, where for any reason he is unable to present appropriation bill to the House, while stressing that Governor Siminalayi Fubara had since presented the 2024 budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Edison Ehie and is awaiting the presentation of the medium term expenditure framework for the next three financial years.
He therefore called on members of the public to disregard and discountenance the illegal activities of Martin Amaewhule and the 24 others as well and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite action in conducting a by-election to fill their vacant seats.
Meanwhile, a high court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital has barred the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the National Financial Secretary, National Organizing Secretary or any other officer of the party or their agents from holding the Congress of the Party in Rivers State scheduled for July 27, 2024 or any other date, pending the hearing and determination of the suit. The judge, Honourable Justice Sobere Ejambo gave the order on Tuesday, after hearing submissions of learned counsel for the claimants/applicants.
