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PRO-WIKE LAWMAKERS WRITE INEC, SEEK REPLACEMENT OF PRO-FUBARA LAWMAKERS
The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Martin Amaewhule, has formally requested the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organize a bye-election to fill vacant seats in the state legislature.
This action came after a resolution during the Assembly’s plenary on Tuesday, where members agreed to notify INEC about the vacancies.
The political tensions between the camps of the former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara have heightened.
In a letter dated October 15, 2024, addressed to INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Amaewhule explained that the vacancies arose following the declaration of four lawmakers, loyal to Governor Fubara, as absent from legislative duties for an extended period.
The letter identified the vacant seats as those held by representatives from Ahoada East Constituency II, Opobo Constituency, Bonny Constituency, and Ahoada West Constituency.
The letter stated, “Please be informed that during the 56th Legislative Day of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, the seat for the Ahoada East Constituency II was declared vacant in accordance with sections 109(1) and (f) of the 1999 Constitution.
“Hon. Edison Ogerenye Ehie, the former representative of Ahoada East II, who was absent from legislative business for about a year and later appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor on January 29, 2024, is now in the executive branch.
“Likewise, the seats for Hon. Adolphus Timothy Oruibienimigba (Opobo), Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo (Bonny), and Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari (Ahoada West) are also vacant due to their prolonged absence from legislative sessions for more than a year, far exceeding the one-third threshold set by the Constitution in section 109(1)(f).
“Based on Section 109(2), I exercised my authority under Section 109(1)(f) of the Constitution, declaring their seats vacant after verifying their voluntary absences from 96 out of 177 meetings in the 1st session and all 56 meetings in the 2nd session. Their total consecutive absences amount to 152 days.
“I, therefore, urge INEC to conduct elections to fill these vacancies, so the people in these constituencies can have proper representation in the Assembly.”
In response, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, argued that Amaewhule and his colleagues had lost their seats after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). He suggested that the lawmakers should resolve their dispute in the Appeal Court rather than engage in a game of “hide and seek.”
“Amaewhule should stop playing games,” Johnson said. “He publicly announced the suspension of these four lawmakers, but there’s no evidence that they were reinstated. How can they claim the seats are vacant if they haven’t formally recalled them? This shows they’re confused and mismanaging the situation.”
