The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has declared Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and three other pro-Fubara lawmakers’ seats vacant following their absence from sittings for 152 days.
Making this known during plenary on Tuesday, October 15, Speaker Martin Amaewhule, a loyalist of Nyesom Wike, pointed out that Ehie did not properly write to inform the House of his new office, and as such his seat had been declared vacant.
Regarding Victor Oko-Jumbo and the two others, the House held three separate votes to declare their seats vacant for absenteeism from sitting for 152 days consecutively without notification or permission, in violation of the 1999 constitution, Channels TV reported.
The Assembly further agreed to write to INEC to conduct elections to replace the now vacant seats within 90 days to provide representation for their people.
TVC News reported that the house agreed to give Governor Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 Appropriations Bill following the appeal court’s nullification of the N800bn bill, which he had presented to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie.
TimesNow.com.ng understands that Fubara and Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), are at loggerheads over the control of Rivers state. This has led to the division in the state assembly.
Read more about Rivers crisis here:
In another development, TimesNow.com.ng reported that Chijioke Ihunwo, the newly elected chairman of Obio Akpor LGA, removed ex-Governor Nyesom Wikeâs name from the council secretariat’s administrative block.
On Sunday morning, Ihunwo shared videos of how Wikeâs name was replaced with Obi Waliâs, a renowned politician and activist in Rivers state who passed away in 1993.
The development comes amidst the supremacy battle between Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at TimesNow.com.ng.
Source: TimesNow.com.ng
