In a new twist to the political drama in Rivers State, a new factional Speaker, Victor Jumbo, has emerged in the Rivers State House of Assembly. 

Jumbo is the member representing Bonny Constituency in the state House of Assembly.

Jombo is among the four lawmakers loyal to the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara since the political crisis that rocked the state started.

The former factional Speaker, Edison Ehie, who was the leader of the pro-Fubara lawmakers, later resigned membership of the Assembly after President Bola Tinubu’s intervention to broker peace in the feud between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike.

 Fubara later appointed Ehie as the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House.

A source familiar with the development confirmed the development to Journalists on Wednesday.

He stated, “Yes, I can confirm to you that Hon Victor Oko Jumbo has just emerged as the new Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“His colleagues elected him during their sitting in Port Harcourt this afternoon. That is all I can say for now.”

Governor Fubara, few days ago declared that the 27 lawmakers of the Assembly loyal to President Wike do not exist.

This new development is coming amidst the declaration by the G-60 PDP lawmakers in Federal House of Representatives to the effect that the seats of the lawmakers have been declared vacant.

The group federal lawmakers on Wednesday said the 27 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly whose seats were declared vacant in December 2023 following their defection to the All Progressives Congress from the Peoples Democratic Party, lack the powers to serve Governor Siminalayi Fubara impeachment notice.

“The call for the impeachment of the governor is a call to anarchy that will lead to the collapse of democracy if the President doesn’t call them to order.

“Unless there is a supreme order of the court, these 27 lawmakers have lost their seats. We cannot allow this absurdity because the APC Minister is working with the president and you now want to overthrow a legitimate Governor.

“The President needs to intervene because it is issues like these that led to the collapse of democracy in the 70s and 80s. If they are popular, they should contest fresh elections,” the spokesperson of the lawmakers, Ikenga Ugochinyere, said.

According to the G-60 lawmakers, the purported veto of the powers of the governor by the group of 27 persons “Parading themselves as Rivers State lawmakers” was nothing but legislative rascality taken too far.

The 60 federal lawmakers stated this in a formal reaction to the alleged overriding of the assent of Governor Fubara to pass the Rivers State Public Procurement (Amendment) Bill 2024.