Rivers crisis: “Forget It, Fubara Will Never Represent Budget Before Amaewhule”  – Chief Eze

By Gideon Njoku

“Rivers people shall resist the destabilisation of the State or the impeachment of the Governor.”

A former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, has said that Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State will never represent the 2024 Budget before factional Speaker Martins  Amaewfule and 26 other Lawmakers.

Chief Eze, a Leader in the All Progressives Congress, APC, said the thought of Fubara doing that should be perished because Amaewfule and his colleague-legislators have since ceased to be members of the Rivers State House of Assembly having willingly lost their seats when on December 11, 2023, they resigned from the PDP under which ticket they contested and won election and joined the All Progressives Congress, APC.

“They are no longer members of the State Assembly”, Eze declared.

His statement in a press release on Friday came on the heels of the judgement of the Court of Appeal on Thursday which ordered the Governor to represent the Budget before the House led by Amaewfule.

In the press release Eze insisted that some in Rivers State are bent on using the Legal system to stamp their authority and dominate the State.  That  he said is responsible for the lingering crisis over the leadership of the House of Assembly.

Fubara had contested the judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja on January 22, 2024, by the Honourable Justice James Omotosho which ordered him to go and represent the Budget.

But in reaction Chief Eze posited that “the defection of Martin Amaewhule and twenty-six other members from the PDP, which had supported their election in the 2023 Legislative Assembly Election, to the APC on December 11, 2023, was not a factor in the current lawsuit, which was determined by Justice Omotosho on January 22, 2024.”

He recalled that all the parties, at a meeting with President Bola Tinubu to make peace, had agreed on certain terms.

Said Eze: “Fubara obeyed President Tinubu’s order to end the warring parties’ legal actions in order to facilitate a peaceful settlement of the conflict and restore peace to the state of Rivers.

“Martin Amaewhule and the 26 lawmakers who defected, however, did not drop suit No. FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023 and went on to win a judgment against the Rivers State governor.

“At this point, it has become imperative to state from a legal standpoint that by the provision of Section 109(i) (g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Martin Amaewhule and 26 other Lawmakers having defected, automatically lost their seats as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 11th day of December, 2023, as Section 109(1)(g) is self executory as no court order is required thereof.

“Nevertheless, in view of the judgment of Justice Joseph Oyewole led 3-man panel of the Court of Appeal on October 10, 2024, it is of paramount importance to quash the gale of misrepresentation and misinterpretation that Amaewhule & 26 other defected Lawmakers remain members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“I make bold to state in the strongest term that the Appellate Court did not adjudicate on the legitimacy or otherwise of the defection of the embattled lawmakers. In this regard, the fact remains that Martins AMAEWHULE and his co-Travellers have ceased to be Lawmakers and Fubara will not grant them any legality by representing any Budget before them.

“So those celebrating should go ahead to celebrate on an issue that was dead on arrival as the plot to plunge Rivers State into darkness will not be accomplished,” Eze said.

He enjoined Fubara to head to the Supreme Court to appeal the judgment of the Court of Appeal. He, also,  “appealed to the Judiciary to be circumspect of deft moves by self serving politicians to drag the judiciary into the mud.

“I urge the courts to ensure they deliver sound and time tested judgments devoid of technicalities, as well as stop every plot that will derail and expose the country’s fledgling democracy to public opprobrium.

“Governor Fubara must stand firm and not yield to intimidation, betrayal or judicial harassment from Wike and his adversaries.

“There will be daring consequences if Rivers people and Nigerians in general fail at this period to wrestle Rivers State from the firm grip of Wike.

“Let me state without mincing words that President Bola Tinubu is duty bound to ensure that Rivers State is not allowed to be destabilized due to one man’s dictatorial tendencies.

“By withdrawing his counter affidavits and processes filed in the suit, Governor Fubara did not make any mistake in obeying the directive of President Tinubu.

“Or is President Tinubu’s directive mischievous and deceptive as Fubara’s withdrawal of court processes earlier filed, formed the basis upon which the appellate panel dismissed the suit?

“The plot to set Rivers State on fire or attempt to impeach the Governor will be resisted.

“I urge people of the State, particularly, loyalists of Governor Fubara to be calm and go about their normal duties as the suit bordering on defection of the 27 lawmakers is still pending in court,” he said.