A faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo on Friday vowed to challenge the verdict of the Appeal Court which declared Martins Amaewhule as the authentic speaker of the House.
Oko-Jumbo, the Speaker of the Assembly’s faction loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, stated this during a sitting of the House in Port Harcourt.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja, on Thursday set aside an order that restrained Amaewhule from parading himself as speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
A three-member panel of the appeal court led by Justice Jimi Kayode-Bada also removed the order that stopped Amaewhule and 25 other lawmakers from parading themselves as members of the House.
The court held that the Rivers State High Court had no jurisdiction to entertain issues relating to the defection of lawmakers.
READ ALSO: Court declares seat of 25 Rivers Assembly members who decamped to APC vacant
However, Oko-Jumbo said the Assembly strongly believed that the appeal court erred by declaring that a state high court could not hear such a matter.
He said: ”I remain the authentic speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, there cannot be two Houses of Assembly in any state, not in Rivers.”
He stressed the Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers’ seats were validly declared vacant by the then speaker, Edison Ehie.
“On December 13, 2023, their seats were declared vacant following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on December 11, 2023.
“That declaration by the then speaker, Edison Ehie has not been set aside by any court in Nigeria.
“The Assembly secured an order restraining Martins Amaewhule and the 24 other lawmakers from parading as speaker and members of the assembly.
“The Court of Appeal did not make any declaration that Martin Amaewhule and 24 others did not defect from the PDP to APC. It did not also make any declaration that they were still members of the house.
“Despite their pretences, Martins Amaewhule and the 24 others are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as we speak.”
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