Constitution Review: Amaewhule Participates in National Assembly Retreat as Rivers State House Speaker

Martins Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, recently participated in a four-day retreat organized by the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution. The retreat, held in Abuja, commenced on Thursday and concluded on Sunday, drawing the attendance of 35 other speakers.

Amaewhule, leading 25 pro-Nyesom Wike lawmakers, contrasted sharply with Victor Oko-Jumbo, who heads a faction of three legislators loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Supporters of Amaewhule took to social media to celebrate his involvement in the retreat. His Special Adviser on Media, Martins Wachukwu, shared photos and wrote, “The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, just participated in the Sectoral Engagement of the Joint Committee on the Review of the Constitution with the Judiciary. This includes the leadership of the National Assembly, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, Chief Judges, and other critical stakeholders in a technical session.”

The retreat’s timing coincides with a heated dispute between Amaewhule and Governor Fubara, as well as the Oko-Jumbo faction, over the legitimacy of Amaewhule’s speakership and House membership. Governor Fubara recently declared that he would not recognize Amaewhule and his group of 24 lawmakers, asserting that their seats had been declared vacant following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 30. This declaration was made by former lawmaker and factional Speaker Edison Ehie, who later resigned to become the Chief of Staff at the Government House.

In response, the Amaewhule-led lawmakers issued a one-week ultimatum for Governor Fubara to re-present the state’s 2024 budget, already signed into law by the Oko-Jumbo-led lawmakers. They also sent a letter to the governor, highlighting his alleged constitutional breaches, which many interpreted as a precursor to an impeachment move.

With the ultimatum having expired, residents are now awaiting the lawmakers’ next steps. Governor Fubara dismissed the invitation as “the ranting of delusional folks,” claiming they sought to lure him into granting them legitimacy.

The Amaewhule-led lawmakers are expected to reconvene today to announce their next course of action.