Rivers crisis deepens as pro-Wike lawmakers declare seats of Fubara loyalists vacant

• The House further resolved to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct elections to replace the now vacant seats within 90 days

Four Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers loyal to governor Siminalayi Fubara have lost their seats.

The seats of the lawmakers, which include Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Fubara, were declared vacant by the Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly.

At the declaration on Tuesday during plenary, Amaewhule cited the absence of the four lawmakers from sittings for 152 days for his decision.

Amaewhule also explained that Ehie did not officially write to inform the House of his new office, and as such his seat has 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.

The House further resolved to write to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct elections to replace the now vacant seats within 90 days to provide representation for their people.

Also, the Assembly agreed to give Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 Appropriations Bill following the Appeal Court’s nullification of the N800 billion budget which he had presented to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie