The political crisis in Rivers State has taken a whole new twist as some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara elected the member representing Bonny constituency, Victor Oko-Jumbo, as their Speaker.
Oko-Jumbo, who is said to be the new speaker for the entire 32-member Assembly, was said to be elected at 10am during plenary on Wednesday, in line with the Standing Order of the House.
Oko-Jumbo was one of the four lawmakers loyal to Fubara in the wake of the political crisis in the state.
They had at the time of the crisis elected Edison Ehie as the speaker but the latter later resigned from the State Assembly, and was appointed the Chief of Staff to the Governor.
It was not clear how many lawmakers were present during the plenary that produced Oko-Jumbo as speaker.
Oko-Jumbo was led to the plenary with the original mace of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Sergeant-at-Arms, David Wariboko, who managed the last sitting of the Martin Amaewhule-led Assembly in the same position.
Oko-Jumbo in his acceptance speech thanked the members for electing him as the new Speaker sequel to the resignation of the former Speaker, Edison Ehie.
He called on the Executive and the Judiciary, as well as the public to disregard every law purportedly enacted by the Amaewhule-led Assembly, describing it as an exercise in futility.