The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and a loyalist of Gov. Siminalayi Fubara, Mr. Victor Oko-Jumbo, has confirmed that an appeal has been filed at the Supreme Court, challenging the judgment delivered by the Appeal Court on Thursday in Port-Harcourt.
According to Oko-Jumbo, the appeal was necessary because the Assembly strongly disagrees with the Appeal Court’s ruling that the Rivers State High Court lacked jurisdiction in SUIT NO. PHC/1512/CS/2024 and believes the higher court erred in its decision.
Persecondnews recalls that the three-man Appeal Court, in a unanimous judgment on Thursday, July 4, held that the trial court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case.
Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo addressed lawmakers during a plenary session on Friday at a temporary facility in Port Harcourt, according to a press release from Dr. G.M. Gillis-West, Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Oko-Jumbo reaffirmed his position as the legitimate Speaker, emphasizing that the existence of two parallel Houses of Assembly in Rivers State is untenable and that his leadership remains the authentic and recognized authority.
He restated that the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 24 other former lawmakers, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023, remain vacant, as declared by the then Speaker, Edison Ehie, on December 13, 2023, following their defection.
He said: “There cannot be two Houses of Assembly in Rivers State, or indeed any state in Nigeria. This House of Assembly, with me as the Speaker, is the only House of Assembly in Rivers State.
“As the whole world knows, on the 11th day of December 2023, Martin Amaewhule and his 24 friends defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressive Congress.
“On the 13th day of December 2023, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, declared the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 24 others in the RSHA vacant. That declaration has not been set aside by any court in Nigeria.”
He said because they felt dissatisfied with the rulings of the Rivers State High Court in Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024, Amaewhule and 24 lawmakers had filed an Appeal No. CA/PH/198/2024 at the Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division.
He stated: “Yesterday, the 4th of July, 2024, the Court of Appeal, in its lead Judgement, allowed the appeal by Martin Ameawhule & 24 ORS on the ground that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine the case.
“Accordingly, the Court of Appeal struck out Suit No. PHC/1512/CS/2024 and NOTHING MORE. The Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS did not defect from the PDP to the APC.
“The Court of Appeal also did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 24 ORS are still members of the RSHA.”
He added: “We strongly believe that the Court of Appeal was in error when it held that the Rivers State High Court lacked the jurisdiction to hear and determine SUIT NO. PHC/1512/CS/2024.
“Accordingly, we have instructed our lawyers, and they have filed an appeal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria challenging the judgement of the Court of Appeal delivered on the 4th day of July, 2024.
“Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS, in spite of all their pretences, are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and they remain so until a court of competent jurisdiction says otherwise.
“Once again, we, the legitimate members of the RSHA, hereby call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to promptly conduct a bye-election to fill the vacant seats in the RSHA.
“We strongly urge the general public to ignore Martin Amaewhule & 24 ORS in their pretence that they are members of the RSHA.”
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