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The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo, who leads the pro-Fubara faction of lawmakers, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a bye-election.
Oko-Jumbo wants the election to fill the seats of 27 legislators, after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, to the All Progressives Congress, in December 2023.
Addressing newsmen on Friday, Oko-Jumbo emphasized that the legal constraints preventing INEC from conducting the bye-election had been lifted and that the matter now rest with the electoral commission to restore representation for the affected constituencies.
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He said: “To frustrate the Independent National Electoral Commission from conducting by-elections to fill the vacated seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 others filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023 against INEC and four others on December 13, 2023.
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“Subsequently, an order of interlocutory injunction was secured, restraining INEC from conducting by-elections to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“After filing the said suit and securing the order of interlocutory injunction, Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 others began to foot-drag and did not diligently prosecute their suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“The only impediment to INEC conducting by-elections to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly was the order of interlocutory injunction restraining INEC from conducting a bye-election.
“Now that Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023 has been struck out, and the order of interlocutory injunction is also spent. Accordingly, as the Rt Honourable Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, I call on INEC to forthwith conduct by-elections to fill the 27 vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
