Pro-Wike lawmakers declare seats of Fubara’s allies vacant

The Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers house of assembly has declared the seats of four lawmakers loyal to Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, vacant.

The speaker said the decision to declare the lawmakers seats vacant is as a result of their absence from sittings for 152 days.

The lawmakers are Edison Ehie who doubles as chief of staff to Fubara, Victor Oko-Jombo, Adolphus Oruibienimigha and Sokari Sokari.

In May, Oko-Jumbo was elected speaker by four lawmakers loyal to Fubara.

The Oko-Jumbo faction has been holding parallel plenaries at the government house.

During plenary on Tuesday, Amaewhule said Ehie did not write to inform the house of his new office, and as such, his seat was declared vacant.

The assembly agreed to write to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to replace the vacant seats within 90 days “in order to provide representation for their constituencies”.

The assembly also agreed to give Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 appropriations bill following the nullification by the appeal court.

In December 2023, Fubara presented an N800 billion appropriation bill titled: ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’.

The budget was presented to five out of the 32 lawmakers of the assembly, who were from the Edison Ehie-led faction.

In January 2024, a federal high court in Abuja voided and set aside the presentation and passage of the state’s budget.

James Omotoso, the presiding judge, had ordered Fubara to re-present the budget to the “legally” constituted house of assembly under Amaewhule.

On October 10, a court of appeal in Abuja affirmed the judgment of the federal high court that voided the presentation and passage of the budget.

In a unanimous judgment, the appellate court held that the appeal filed by Fubara lacked merit.