The Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, has declared the seats of Edison Ehie, the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and three other pro-Fubara lawmakers vacant due to their prolonged absence from legislative sittings.
During today’s plenary, Speaker Amaewhule announced that Ehie’s seat was declared vacant after he failed to formally notify the House of his new appointment as Chief of Staff. Ehie, along with lawmakers Victor Oko-Jumbo and two others, had been absent from sessions for 152 consecutive days without providing notification or securing permission, a violation of the 1999 Constitution.
The House held three separate votes to confirm the vacancies of the absentee lawmakers’ seats. The Assembly also agreed to send a formal request to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections within 90 days to fill the vacant seats and restore representation for their constituents.
In addition, the Assembly decided to grant Governor Fubara another opportunity to present the 2024 Appropriations Bill. This follows the recent nullification of the N800 billion bill by the Appeal Court, which had been previously presented to a parallel House led by Edison Ehie.
