In an unexpected political turn, Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, representative for Bonny Constituency, announced himself as the new factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He aligns himself with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, in what appears to be a countermove to the opposition All Progressives Congress’s (APC) attempts to impeach the governor.
Oko-Jumbo takes over from Rt. Hon. Eddison Ehie, who stepped down on December 31, 2023, as factional Speaker and as a member of the Assembly. Ehie’s departure led to his subsequent appointment as Fubara’s Chief of Staff.
Exact details on the election process that positioned Oko-Jumbo, a well-known supporter of Governor Fubara, as the factional Speaker have not been made public.
His rise to this role comes soon after Governor Fubara dismissed the purported shift of 27 Assembly members to APC as non-credible.
The Governor’s remarks were made during a visit from Bayelsa State’s political and traditional leaders at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He said: “Let me say it here, those group of men who claim that they are Assembly members, they are not existing. I want it to be on record.
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“I accepted that peace accord to give them a floating (soft-landing). That’s the truth. There is nothing in that peace accord that is a constitutional issue. It is a political solution to a problem. I accepted it because these are people that were visiting me and we were together in my house.
“These are people that I have helped in many ways when I wasn’t even a Governor. Yes, we might have our disagreements, but I believe that one day, we could also come together. That was the reason I did it.
“But I think it has gotten to a time when I need to make a statement on this thing, so that they understand that they are not existing. Their existence and whatever they have been doing is because I allowed them to do so. If I don’t recognise them, they are nowhere, that is the truth.”
Governor Fubara emphasized that the 27 members’ claim to legitimacy was solely at his discretion, asserting that without his recognition, their political positions and activities hold no substance.
