Rivers Assembly Crisis: Eze Slams Defected Lawmakers, Urges Governor Fubara to Stand Firm

PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: The protracted leadership crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly continues to escalate, with prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, pointing fingers at politicians who are allegedly using the judiciary as a tool of power.

In a press statement issued on Friday, Eze criticized the recent actions of some lawmakers in the state, accusing them of manipulating the courts to serve their personal ambitions.

Eze’s remarks follow the latest ruling from the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, which on October 10, 2024, dismissed an appeal filed by Governor Siminalaye Fubara.

The appeal, marked CA/ABJ/133/CS/2024, challenged the earlier judgment of Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, delivered on January 22, 2024, which nullified the 2024 Rivers State Budget passed by lawmakers loyal to Fubara after the defection of 27 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

Justice Omotosho had ruled that the budget was improperly passed following the mass defection and ordered Governor Fubara to re-present the budget to the House of Assembly under the leadership of Martin Amaewhule and the other PDP defectors.

The judgment also barred Governor Fubara from interfering with the Assembly’s activities and ordered him to release funds for the legislative body.

Eze, however, emphasized that by virtue of Section 109(1)(g) of the Nigerian Constitution, the 27 lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC had automatically lost their seats upon their defection in December 2023.

“No court order is required,” he insisted, stressing that the defection rendered their positions in the Assembly void.

Despite President Bola Tinubu’s intervention, calling for a truce between Governor Fubara and the defected lawmakers, Eze expressed disappointment at the refusal of Amaewhule and his allies to withdraw their suit. He accused the defected lawmakers of disrespecting the president’s directive and continuing their legal battle.

Eze further criticized those celebrating the recent Court of Appeal ruling, asserting that the judgment did not address the legality of the lawmakers’ defection.

“The fact remains that Martin Amaewhule and his colleagues have ceased to be lawmakers, and Governor Fubara will not legitimize their actions by re-presenting the budget to them,” he stated.

Urging the Rivers State Government to appeal the ruling, Eze also called on the judiciary to resist being dragged into political manipulation, reminding the courts of their responsibility to deliver sound, unbiased judgments.

He expressed concern over the potential consequences of allowing self-serving politicians to destabilize the state.

In a strong warning, Eze urged Governor Fubara to resist any form of intimidation or judicial harassment, particularly from those aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

He warned that failure to wrest control of the state from Wike’s influence could have serious consequences for the future of Rivers State.

“The people of Rivers State must remain calm,” Eze concluded, “as the case regarding the defection of the lawmakers is still pending in court and will ultimately be decided at the Supreme Court.”

He reiterated that Amaewhule and the other defectors had lost their seats and any attempt to undermine the governor would be firmly resisted.