January 03, (THEWILL) – The Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Emeka Amadi, has faulted the resignation of Edison Ehie, as Speaker of the Assembly, saying the ex-lawmaker was never a speaker.
THEWILL reports that a High Court in Port Harcourt, on Tuesday, December 12, declared Edison Ehie, as the authentic Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
Following the peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his political godfather, Nyesom Wike, over the political crisis in Rivers State, Ehie had in a letter dated December 29, 2023, and addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), resigned his position as Speaker and member representing Ahaoda East Constituency II in the Assembly.
Reacting to his resignation in a statement on Wednesday, Amadi said Ehie was never elected speaker of the Assembly.
The statement read: “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.”
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