Fubara plotting to secure Court order to declare Rivers Assembly illegal, nullify amended laws, APC alleges

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt

The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, has accused the state Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara of plotting to obtain an interim order from the Court, to declare the Martin Amaehwule-led Rivers State House of Assembly illegal.

Okocha made the accusation while briefing Journalists in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

The APC Chairman said the alleged move by the governor to secure the court order is intended to nullify all the laws enacted by the assembly and as well stop the implementation of the laws he was vetoed over by the House.

He further alleged plans by the governor to leverage on the interim order to appoint caretaker committees for the 23 local government areas in the state.

The State APC CTC Chairman however vowed to do everything legitimate to ensure that the plot does not come to fruition.

His words, “I want to use this opportunity to inform Rivers people and Nigerians of the move by the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to procure interim orders from judges that I will not name here, but I will put in my petition to the NJC.

“What is the intention? He wants to procure interim order stopping the implementation of the laws he was vetoed over. He wants to procure an order to announce as illegal, the Rivers State House of Assembly, as constituted and led by Rt. Hon. Martins Chike Amaewhule.

“The governor is in the business as we speak and I speak with all authority because the walls have ears. We live in their kitchen, we live in the parlour, their sitting room. We live in their bedrooms. These are the plans that are on. You may get this plot confirmed before Monday next week.

“He is doing that so that he will now leverage on the interim order to go ahead to appoint caretaker committees for local government councils against the warning of the man he says he respects, the President.

“But, let’s put it clearly here that we will stoutly, vehemently oppose such negative subterranean moves by a man who ought to protect the dignity and integrity of a state called Rivers State.

“I have said that Rivers State cannot be turned to a pariah state because of the actions of one person. Rivers State is a state to be reckoned with in the comity of states, duly respected and regarded.”

Meanwhile, the Rivers state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joe Johnson, has dismissed the allegation by the APC, describing it as baseless and unfounded.

Johnson said: “That is Baseless! They are panicked because they know their fall is near. Rivers people spoke yesterday (Wednesday) through the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and that organic love expressed, threw the camp of the factional acting Party chairman of APC into this feverish situation.”