Martins Amaewhule has participated in a four-day retreat of the National Assembly Joint Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution as Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker. 

Amaewhule leads 25 pro-Nyesom Wike lawmakers of the House while Victor Oko-Jumbo heads three lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as their speaker.

It was gathered that the retreat which was held in Abuja started on Thursday and ended yesterday. It had 35  other speakers in attendance.  

Supporters of  Amaewhule celebrated his invitation to and participation in the retreat on their social platforms yesterday.

One of them was Amaewhule’s Special Adviser on Media, Martins Wachukwu, who shared pictures of his principal’s participation in the retreat. 

He wrote: “The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule just participated in the Sectoral Engagement of the Joint Committee on the Review of the Constitution with the Judiciary.

“This includes the leadership of the National Assembly, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures, Chief Judges, and other critical stakeholders in a technical session.”

Amaewhule has been locked in a protracted battle with  Governor  Fubara, and the Oko-Jumbo legislators over the legitimacy of his speakership and membership of the House.

Last week, Fubara declared that he would not recognise Amaewhule and his group 24  as speakers and members of the House. He insisted that their seats had been declared vacant following their professed defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governor  maintained that their seats had been vacant since December 30 when the declaration was made by the former lawmaker and factional Speaker, Edison Ehie. Ebie later resigned his membership of the Assembly to become the Chief of Staff, Government House.

Eight days ago,  the Amaewhule-led lawmakers issued a one week ultimatum for Fubara to appear before them and re-present the state’s 2024 budget already signed into law after its passage by the Oko-Jumbo-led lawmakers.

They also sent a letter to the governor highlighting his alleged constitutional breaches in what many people saw as a fresh move to begin Fubara’s impeachment.

With the expiration of the ultimatum yesterday, residents of the state were said to be waiting for the lawmakers’ next line of action.

Fubara, who described the invitation as the ranting of delusional folks,   said they wanted to lure him into giving them legitimacy.

The Amaewhule-led lawmakers are expected to reconvene today to make their next line of action public.