Festus Ogwuche, a legal expert, has declared that the Rivers State House of Assembly is currently non-functional, despite the attempts of either Amaewhule or Oko-Jumbo’s factions to constitute it.
In an interview with Arise News from 15:02, Ogwuche explained that the Constitution (Section 96) defines the membership of the House of Assembly based on constituencies, not the physical presence of lawmakers. He emphasized that the required quorum (2/3 or 1/3) is calculated based on the total seats in the House, not the number of members present.
Ogwuche stressed that, until the controversy is resolved, there is no functional House of Assembly in Rivers State, regardless of which faction is attempting to constitute it.
In his words;
“As far as I’m concerned, the three members of the Rivers State House of Assembly cannot constitute a House of Assembly for the State. The membership of the House of Assembly by virtue of section 96 of the Constitution is construed from the Constituency. The number of Constituency present, not the number of Lawmakers present in the House”
“So, if you’re talking of 2/3 or 1/3 of the Assembly, you’re looking at it from the totality of seats in the House, not necessarily the physically representation of the members elected for that purpose. Whether you are for Amaewhule or Oko-Jumbo, constituting themselves as House of Assembly in the interim while this controversy is going, there’s not yet a House of Assembly in Rivers State”