The factional speaker of Rivers State Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, has claimed that he is the authentic speaker of the House.
He duly elected by members of the house, adding that Governor Fubara was trying to usurp his authority through the back door.
He stressed that the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowers only him as the speaker of the state assembly to declare the seat of any lawmaker vacant, according to the Independent.
He said, “The only person by constitution to declare the seat of any member vacant is me, and I am the Speaker duly elected by all the members who voted me the day the Assembly was proclaimed and I have continued to do my job.
“It is shameful that the Governor is resorting to desperate measures to use an appointee to perform our function.”
Meanwhile, lawmakers loyal to the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Wednesday elected the member representing Bonny Constituency, Victor Oko-Jumbo as the Speaker of the state House of Assembly.
The pro-Fubara lawmakers disclosed this on Wednesday night in a statement by Oko-Jumbo and a factional Clerk of the House, Dr. G. M. Gillis-West.
Oko-Jumbo emerged as the factional Speaker amid calls by the state All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee and local government chairmen in the state for the impeachment of the governor who got the backing of the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday.
