Angry Constituents Begin Process To Recall Speaker Amaewhule
A legal representative, Kenneth Amadi, has formally approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to initiate recall proceedings against Martin Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
This development marks a new chapter in the ongoing political turmoil in Rivers State, which arose following a rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Amaewhule’s position, along with that of 26 other members of the Assembly who were aligned with Wike, was declared vacant by legislators loyal to Fubara after their shift from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In response to this situation, Fubara collaborated with a three-member faction of the Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo. Fubara presented the budget to this faction, which also approved commissioner nominees and other appointments proposed by the governor.
Subsequently, Amaewhule and the other 26 members retracted their defection, and on February 28, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that they should immediately resume their legislative duties. The court further mandated the governor to reintroduce the 2025 budget to the State Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership.
In the meantime, a letter obtained by Didactic Information Hut on March 12, 2025, indicates that steps have been taken to recall Amaewhule from the Assembly. Dated March 7, 2025, the letter was addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Rivers State and was titled, “Pre-Action Notice: Request made pursuant to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Freedom of Information Act, 2011, for a certified true copy of the verified voter register for Obio/Akpor Federal/State Constituency, Rivers State as preliminary steps towards the recall of Martins Amaewhule, the legislator representing Obio/Akpor State Constituency at the Rivers State House of Assembly.”
An acknowledgment stamp on the letter confirms that it was received by the INEC office on March 11, 2025.
