Rivers Assembly Declares 4 Pro-Fubara Lawmakers’ Seats Vacant, Gives Reason

• The Rivers crisis worsened as the House led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule took a significant decision on Tuesday, October 15
• Amaewhule declared the seats of four pro-Fubara lawmakers vacant, including Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara
• Amaewhule, a loyalist to ex-governor and FCT minister Nyesom Wike, cited their continuous absence from sittings for 152 days as the basis of his decision

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

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.

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Rivers crisis: INEC told to immediately conduct by-election for 25 vacant Assembly seats

Why pro-Fubara lawmakers' seats were 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.

Legit.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.

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Read more about Rivers crisis here:

• Rivers crisis: "Pro-Wike lawmakers’ seats remain vacant," Gov fubara insists
• Wike vs Fubara: Tinubu gets urgent message from ex-PDP chairman Secondus
• “Rivers has become capital of betrayals”: Amaechi reacts to Wike, Fubara rift

Rivers LG chair removes Wike’s name from council building

In another development, Legit.ng reported that Chijioke Ihunwo, the newly elected chairman of Obio Akpor LGA, removed ex-Governor Nyesom Wike’s name from the council secretariat's administrative block.

On Sunday morning, Ihunwo shared videos of how Wike’s name was replaced with Obi Wali’s, 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 Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng