Rivers crisis: Drama as factional Speaker emerges to lead 2 pro-Fubara lawmakers

EMMANUEL NLEWEDUM, Port Harcourt

 

The political crisis in Rivers State took a twist Wednesday, as a new Speaker loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara emerged to lead two other legislators who didn’t decamped to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the State House of Assembly.

But 27 other members of the House loyal to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike

led by Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Amaehwule remained unperturbed yesterday.

The new factional Rivers Assembly Speaker, Rt. Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, representing Bonny constituency emerged after the lawmakers who did not defect alongside Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers to the APC last year, met at the government approved chamber in Government House, Port Harcourt.

Oko-Jumbo, after taking his oath as the new speaker thanked Governor Fubara for creating enabling environment for a smooth process saying the sate now has a working House to help him move the State forward.

Recall that Oko-Jumbo was part of those who dragged the pro-Wike lawmakers led by Amaewhule to court, challenging their legitimacy as members of the Assembly, having defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP under which platform they were elected.

With the development, Jumbo will be leading two other members to make laws for the state, after former factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, now Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara had earlier declared the seat of 25 out of the 27 lawmakers vacant, in line with the provisions of the constitution.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Oko-Jumbo said his election was in line with Section 92(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (CFRN 1999) as Amended.

“You will agree with me that after the House last sat on the 13th of December, 2023, and adjourned sine dine, there has been an avalanche of legislative rascality perpetrated by the 25 former members of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly, led by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule.

“These former members, being fully aware of the provisions of Section 109(1)(g) of the CFRN 1999, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the 11th of December, 2023.

“Consequently, the Rt. Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie-led Assembly, on the 13th of December, 2023, wrote to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), declaring the seats of the 25 lawmakers vacant in line with Section 109(1)(g) and (2) of the CFRN 1999.

“My distinguished colleagues, there are a plethora of cases pending in our courts further to the defection of the former lawmakers.”

Oko-Jumbo emphasised: “All laws, plenary sessions and actions taken by the illegal House members are hereby declared void and a nullity in the eyes of the law by virtue of the judgment of Lord Denning in the celebrated case of MacFoy v UAC (1961) 3 All ER 1169.

“Lord Denning held in that case that you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand. Particularly, Lord Denning stated: ‘If an act is void, then it is in law a nullity. It is not only bad, but incurably bad. There is no need for an order of court to set it aside.

“‘It is automatically null and void without more ado, though it is sometimes more convenient to have the court declare it to be so’.”

He further declared that all proceeding which was founded on the activities of the former lawmakers had become ‘bad and incurably bad’.

“You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stay there. It will collapse”, he added.

The new speaker called on the Executive arm, the Judiciary and the general public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the illegal Assembly members because they all amount to nothing but an exercise in futility.

He said, “Furthermore, this House would want to most respectfully urge and call on His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara to desist forthwith from further dealings with the 25 former lawmakers, in whatever guise.

“Those members are merely floating and do not have any landing ground or anywhere to berth their ship since their defection to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th of December, 2023.

“This House is the legally and constitutionally recognised House of Assembly by virtue of the defection of the other members, and is ready to receive correspondences from and work with His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. Distinguished colleagues, let me thank you once again.

“I know I can count on your unalloyed and unwavering support as we work with His Excellency, Sir Siminalayi Fubara in moving our dear Rivers State forward in promoting the progress and welfare of the State.”

Speaking to newsmen after the 10am sitting of the House, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oko-Jumbo, said he will stay true to his constitutional duties and work assiduously for the growth and development of Rivers people and the State.

“We will sit again, and communicate our proceedings to the public and make sure that we are doing what we ought to do to ensure there is transparency and clarity of leadership of the 10th Legislative Assembly.”

Also speaking, the newly elected Leader of the House, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari said: “As the chairman of the government business in the 10th Assembly, as you’ve heard our speaker say, we will work in line with set goals to achieve synergy with the Executive.

“But away from that, we want to further warn that if His Excellency, the Governor ever have any dealing with those former members, we, the original members of the 10th Assembly, who by the provisions of the Constitution, form the quorum to address legislative business of the day, will have no choice than to raise the gavel, which is to commence impeachment proceeedings against him.”

He, therefore, urged Governor Fubara, to cooperate and work in tandem with the legitimate members of the 10th Assembly to ensure the delivery of good governance and quality dividends of democracy to Rivers people, who have bestowed their trust and mandate on them at this time.

Meanwhile, the new Speaker was led to the plenary with the original mace of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, who managed the last sitting of the Amaewhule-led Assembly in the same position.

On Tuesday Governor Siminalayi Fubara declared that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers do not exist in the eyes of the law.

In his reaction on Tuesday, the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Chief Tony Okocha, berated the governor’s declaration and directed the the Amaehwule led lawmakers to immediately commence impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.

 

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