The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has been urged to immediately fill the seats of the 27 defected lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) now that the coast seems clear.
The call was made Friday, November 1, 2024, by Victor Oko-Jumbo, Governor Sim Fubara-backed speaker.
This is as the governor has danced in the face of those he said never expected him to still be on seat one year after the failed impeachment launch.
Now, the factional speaker said the renewed call became pertinent since the legal impediment stopping INEC all this while from conducting the bye-election has been removed.
He said that it is common public knowledge that Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly, on their own accord, defected on the 11th day of December, 2023, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), without any justifiable cause.
Oko-Jumbo stated that their defection from the PDP which sponsored their election followed the former lawmakers’ failed attempt on October 30, 2023, to impeach Fubara.
“To frustrate the INEC from conducting a bye-election, Amaewhule & 26 others filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023 against INEC & 4 others on the 13th day of December, 2023.
“Subsequently, an order of Interlocutory Injunction was secured, restraining INEC from conducting a bye-election to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“After filing the said suit and securing the order of Interlocutory Injunction, Amaewhule and the 26 others began to foot-drag, and did not do anything to diligently prosecute their suit at the Federal High Court, Abuja,” he said.
Oko-Jumbo pointed to the futility of that legal suit that Amaewhule and the 26 others pursued, which invariably served as a cover to delay what must necessarily be done, the speaker said.
Specifically, Oko-Jumbo stated that on October 30, 2024, Amaewhule and 26 others, without any reason, discontinued Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023, and it was struck out accordingly.
“The only impediment to INEC conducting a bye-election to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly was the order of Interlocutory Injunction restraining INEC from conducting a bye-election”.
Now the suit has been struck out, he stated, the order of Interlocutory Injunction is also spent.
“Accordingly, as the Rt. Honourable Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I call on INEC to forthwith conduct a bye- election to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly,” he added.
Dance of jeers:
Meanwhile, governor Fubara seemed to launch a dance of jeers on the last day of October, saying his opponents (Nyesom Wike camp) never expected him to still be on seat one year after they attempted to impeach him.
He recalled that those who ruthlessly attempted to end his administration undemocratically had boasted then to achieve their purpose quickly to boot him out of office within one week. He said they have rather failed woefully.
The governor said that he had not only stayed in office more than one year and counting, his administration is forging on strongly with sterling leadership, focused on delivering social services and quality projects to Rivers people.
Fubara made the assertion at the Rivers State Day of Thanksgiving, Praise and Worship, held at the Main Bowl of Alfred Diette-Spiff Civic Centre along Moscow Road in Port Harcourt Old Township October 30, 2024.
The session was a gathering of thousands of enthusiastic residents and indigenes in Rivers State, including reputable worship leaders, clergies and gospel singers, who joined in the commemoration service to thank God over the botched attempt to abruptly end the administration of Governor Fubara on October 30, 2023 by undemocratic elements and haters of the State.
He expressed gratitude to God for the divine rescue by frustrating the schemes of detractors, acknowledging that without the overwhelming but organic support of Rivers people, his winning over his transducers would not have been entirely as sweet as it is now.
The governor said, “It was an assassination to the people of Rivers State, indirectly, and assassination at me directly.
“Since they can’t kill everyone of you, they need to kill one person so that everybody will be declared dead. But somehow, somewhere, by the special grace of God, they failed. And the God that we are thanking today, what they meant for evil, God turned it to good.”
Gov Fubara further mocked his detractors who had remained determined to derail governance, and insisted that despite their antics, his administration has demonstrated prudence, transparency, and accountability in handling the financial resources of the State.
Such public financial diligence, he noted, has attracted commendations from BudgIT, a civic-tech organisation that assessed Rivers State as maintaining the Number One spot in the 2024 Fiscal Performance Ranking among the 36 states of the Federation.
“I can tell you, they said we are not going to last for one week, we are here, we have done one year plus. We are also doing one year anniversary of their attack.
“They said those buccaneers will not leave as local government chairmen, today, we have the 23 local government chairmen sitting here with us. They said their commissioners should resign so that we will be crippled. Today, we have more than 23 commissioners.
“They said, in a programme in Rivers State University, that we are not going to do anything, and that they want to frustrate us. They are going to make us not to succeed. But by the special grace of God, we have embarked on projects that are touching the lives of Rivers people.
“We didn’t end there. We have shown prudence that we are not here to steal your money; that we are here to be accountable,” Governor Fubara said.
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He told the people that so far, the journey of governance has been rewarding, adding that the most difficult part of the struggle has been experienced.
He insisted that there is nothing happening now that cannot be surmounted, and urged all Rivers people to brace up, be strong and be assured that the unity and peace is still intact.
“I now ask the question: who is the winner? So, I tell you, this evening, we are here to thank God, to appreciate God, to say God, the way you did it one year ago, we know you are going to do it again for us much more.
“So, you don’t need to bother about the stories on social media. That one is the least of your troubles. By tomorrow, I am still going to pay my contractors.
“By tomorrow, those of you who have not got your salaries, your alert will also come to you. Local Government Chairmen, they have had their JAAC, your money is coming to your accounts.
“Who is the loser? We are not doing luncheon here to celebrate loss or failure. We are praising God because He is taking us to a higher position. So, you see the reason why you need to be happy? You see the reason why we chose today to celebrate the goodness of God in our State and in our lives? We can’t thank Him enough.”
The governor explained while he sincerely implemented the details of the Presidential Peace Accord, including withdrawing legal suits, saying that the other party violated the accord, and went ahead to pursue their suits and secured judgment in their favour.
“We made a promise to you that we will continue to defend and protect the interest of Rivers State genuinely, and we are not going back on that. We will do it, and we will follow through with it. With your support, we will journey it to the end.
“Because we are people of peace, if there is any advantage that was taken over us, it is because of our genuine interest for peace. The preacher said something about peace. I want to tell you that we went to Abuja and Mr President, knowing the importance of peace of Rivers State, brought out some conditions. We came back here in this State.”
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Fubara is not to blame – Gov Fubara
On who to blame on the political logjam in Rivers State, the governor said he did everything that has to be done with the conditions given for peace at the presidency. “We went to court immediately, withdrew our matters, but they did not. And you call yourself honourable, when you cannot even obey simple instruction, and you blame it on Fubara.
“How is Fubara the problem? Fubara is not the problem! It was because we withdrew our matter, even the matter you filed, and we said we don’t want to continue: you took advantage of it, and went and got judgment. Is it not fraud?”
He insisted that he acted more honourably, believing that the agreement should be what should bind everybody together.
He explained, “When I discovered that I am being ambushed, not by the person who initiated the peace, but by people who believed that they are smarter.
“But you know such smartness, no matter what you call yourself, it is still foolishness before God. That is why, as they said, those other things that they are looking for, to make them feel they are coming back to life, we will not do it. So, let me see how they will come to life when we don’t do it.”
Fubara agreed with the preacher of the day who declared the evening as an enactment of the peace of God enthroned in Rivers State.
He stressed, “My promise to you all Rivers people is that our administration will do things that will stand the test of time. No matter what it is, we will continue to do those things that even when we leave, people will see them and say, yes, it is done for the good, not for personal interests.
“Not doing a road because I have a farm; not expanding a road because I have a business interest along that street. But I mean doing things that even when we leave, we will be remembered for leaving such legacies.”
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