A former National Publicity Secretary of the now-defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has advised the faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule to bury their plot of impeaching Governor Siminilayi Fubara......READ THE FULL STORY>>.....READ THE FULL STORY>>
Eze, who described the move by the lawmakers as a step to regain political relevance, declared that the lawmakers have effectively withdrawn from legislative activities since December 2023.
Rivers State has experienced significant political turmoil following Governor Fubara’s decision to sever ties with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
AZNews understands that rumours suggest that the 27 lawmakers are preparing to initiate impeachment proceedings against the governor.
However, Eze pointed out that their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has undermined their authority to engage in any legitimate legislative actions.
The APC leader highlighted that one instance of the pro-Wike faction’s opposition to the governor is reflected in a recent Court of Appeal ruling, which mandated Fubara to resubmit the 2024 appropriation bill to the Amaewhule-led Assembly.
Eze explained that this appeal stemmed from a Federal High Court ruling that followed Fubara’s withdrawal of all legal defenses in response to the suit filed by Amaewhule, a move directed by President Tinubu after discussions with the conflicting parties involved in the political crisis in Rivers State.
The APC leader remarked that the ruling of the Court, which the appellate court affirmed, represented a consequence of Wike’s audacious defiance of President Tinubu’s directive.
Eze further urged Wike and his associates to embrace the straightforward meaning conveyed by the Court of Appeal’s decision in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/133/CS/2023 when interpreting the judgment.
In a statement released in response to the various interpretations that emerged from the pro-Wike faction, who are making renewed attempts to perpetuate instability in the state, Eze emphasized that the ruling did not address the status of the seats held by the former lawmakers who had defected and voluntarily relinquished their positions upon leaving the PDP—the party under which they were elected.
These seats were declared vacant on December 13, 2023, by the then Speaker of the Assembly, RT. Hon. Edison Ehie.
He said “Section 109(i) (g) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria is automatic and needs no judicial interpretation to take effect and called on the former Lawmakers to awake from the euphoria of the false narrative adopted and sold to them by their team of judgement interpreters whose exciting but vague interpretations cannot help their situation. ”
“Given that Section 109(i) (g) takes automatic effect upon the defection of a member of a State House of Assembly, one would have loved to see the Court of Appeal ordered a stay of proceedings on the matter to allow the determination of the question of whether or not the 27 former Lawmakers are still members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Judicial officers, especially Judges, must be wary of being inveigled into a situation in which they find themselves becoming partisan agents of wrongdoers in the pursuit of very selfish and anti-people vendetta.
“Although the Court of Appeal verdict does not restore the former Lawmakers to their lost seats, it has been exposed to ridicule, particularly by the Wike group, who are desperate to hold on to anything from the Court to assert themselves.
Such a situation, Eze said, “Could cause crisis and the Court would have considered the fragility of the political atmosphere in the state to be circumspect in their handling of sensitive situations such as this.
“Martins Amaewhule and his co-travellers are now hinging on the judgement of the Appeal court wrongly interpreted to them to assume that they have returned from their self-inflicted political relegation, so much so that they could muscle courage to go the extend of purportedly sitting to conduct legislative business when they have no such powers.”
Eze reminded those who, according to him seem lost in the euphoria of the ridiculous interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgement that “the question of whether or not the 27 former Lawmakers have not lost their seat by virtue of their defection, is still pending before the courts and untill the question is determined in their favour they remain former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and therefore lack the legitimacy to carry-on any legislative function for the state.”
He called on Amaewhule and company “to bury the thought of attempting to impeach the Governor as that will backfire on them”.
He counselled them “to be circumspect and mindful of the kind of orders they take from Wike,” stressing that the FCT Minister allegedly “does not mean well for the state and people should be careful not to make themselves willing tools in his hands to destroy the state.”
