Pro-Fubara Lawmakers Elect Jumbo As Factional Rivers Assembly Speaker

The political crisis in Rivers State, south-south Nigeria, took a dramatic turn on Wednesday as lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara elected Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo as a factional Speaker of the State House of Assembly, The Punch is reporting.

At the meeting which was held at the Government House, Hon. Sokari Goodboy also emerged as a factional Majority Leader of the Assembly

Jumbo’s election comes barely 48 hours after Governor Fubara declared that the majority of the 27 members of the House, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), as non-existent.

The opposition APC has also instructed its members in the House Assembly, who are now in the majority, to impeach the governor.

Baring that in mind, a source said some lawmakers met on Wednesday and elected Jumbo, a ranking member representing Bonny Constituency as the Speaker of the House of Assembly.

Jumbo becomes the third Speaker under the current administration after Hon. Edison Ehie and Hon. Martin Amaewhule.

Amaewhule, an ally of the immediate former Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, was impeached last year, giving room for Edison, who later resigned in December 2023.

Edison’s resignation comes shortly after the peace accord between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, to pave the way for Amaewhule to return to his seat as Speaker.