‘You were never a Speaker,’ Rivers Assembly mocks Fubara loyalist

Rivers State House of Assembly has thrown a fresh jab at the former factional Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s loyalist, Hon. Edison, saying he was never a Speaker.

Ehie, who was the majority leader of the Assembly before declaring himself as the factional Speaker had on December 29, 2023, resigned his position as both the Speaker and member representing Ahaoda east constituency 11 in the Assembly.

A Rivers State high court had also held that Ehie should be recognised as Speaker pending the determination of a substantive suit before it.

However, the Clerk of the Assembly, Emeka Amadi, in a press statement issued in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said Ehie was never elected the Speaker of the Assembly and should not have claimed to have resigned from such office.

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He said, “The attention of the Rivers State House of Assembly has been drawn to a letter dated 29 December, 2023, addressed to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and circulating in the media. It was purportedly written and signed by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie DSSRS – member representing Ahoada East Constituency II in the Rivers State of Assembly wherein he claimed to have resigned from the position of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, an office he never occupied.

“I am therefore directed to call on the good people of Rivers State to disregard the false claim in this letter that is intended to mislead the unsuspecting public. Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie DSSRS was never at any time in the life of the Rivers State House of Assembly elected a Speaker. The Office of the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly is a creation of the 1999 Constitution (As altered) and should not be ridiculed by any member who swore to preserve it and abide by the Constitution.

“As a matter of fact, on Monday, the 5th day of June, 2023, after the proclamation of the 10 Rivers State House of Assembly by the Governor, and in line with Section 92 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (As altered), I, as the then Acting Clerk of the House, conducted the election that produced Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, DSSRS, as the Speaker of the 10 Rivers State House of Assembly by the unanimous votes of all other thirty-one (31) members sitting and present. It is also imperative to state that, from the 5th day of June, 2023, when he was elected till today, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule DSSRS, has been performing his duties as the Speaker.”