The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has declared the seats of four lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, including Chief of Staff Edison Ehie, vacant. This decision, made during Tuesday’s plenary, comes after the lawmakers were absent from sittings for 152 days without proper notification, violating provisions of the 1999 Constitution.
Ehie’s failure to formally inform the Assembly of his new position as Chief of Staff was cited as the reason for his seat being declared vacant. Similarly, lawmakers Victor Oko-Jumbo and two others lost their seats for extended absenteeism without permission.
The Assembly has requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conduct elections within 90 days to fill the vacant seats and restore representation for the affected constituencies.
In a related development, the Assembly agreed to give Governor Fubara a chance to re-present the 2024 Appropriations Bill after the Appeal Court nullified the N800 billion budget he had previously submitted to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie.
