The Rivers State House of Assembly, under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule, has announced that the seats of Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and three other lawmakers who support Fubara, are now vacant due to their prolonged absence from sittings for 152 days.
During today’s plenary session, Speaker Martin Amaewhule noted that Ehie failed to formally notify the House about his new position, declaring his seat vacant.
In the case of Victor Oko-Jumbo and two other lawmakers, the House conducted three separate votes to declare their seats vacant due to their continuous absence from sittings for 152 days without prior notification or permission, violating the 1999 constitution.
The Assembly has also agreed to request that the INEC organise elections within 90 days to fill vacant seats and ensure representation for the affected constituencies.
Furthermore, the House has granted Governor Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 Appropriations Bill following the Appeal Court’s nullification of the N800 billion bill. The bill had been presented to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie.