Rivers crisis deepens: Fubara summons emergency exco meeting

Emmanuel Nlewedum, Port Harcourt and Chigozie Ikpo, Abuja

As the crisis in Rivers State deepens, Governor Siminalayi Fubara is meeting with members of the state executive council, at the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital

The emergency meeting followed the defection of 27 members of the 32-member House of Assembly from the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

It was gathered that the lawmakers dumped then PDP for the APC during the sitting of the House.

The lawmakers were seen brandishing the flags of the APC in a group photograph after the sitting.

The factional members on Monday accused Governor Fubara of withholding funds meant for the management of the Assembly

They, thereafter, adopted a resolution condemning the alleged withholding of funds by the state government.

The faction led by its Speaker, Mr. Martin Amaewhule, made the disclosure at its 87th plenary in Port Harcourt.

The group comprising 27 legislators, accused the state Governor, Mr. Siminialayi Fubara, of starving them of funds.

The 27 lawmakers out of the 32 lawmakers of the House, thereafter, announced their defection to the APC citing alleged division in the PDP as the reason for crossing to the APC.

Speaking after reading the letters signed by the defected lawmakers, Amaewhule directed the Clerk of the House to convey their resolution to the governor, Mr. Siminialayi Fubara, and relevant authorities.

According to him, the decision of 27 lawmakers is borne out of the desire to serve the state better.

However, the Rivers State Local Government (Amendment) Bill 2023′ scaled through the second reading at the plenary.

.Approves N800bn Budget estimate for 2024

Meanwhile, the Rivers State Executive Council led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara has approved a budget estimate of N800 billion for the 2024 fiscal year.

The budget was approved on Monday at the Executive Chamber of the Rivers State Government House, Port Harcourt, during a meeting presided over by Governor Fubara to deliberate among other issues, to include the 2024 Appropriation Bill christened, “Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity.”

The State 5th Executive Council meeting also deliberated on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework, which is usually a precursor to discussing the budget.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson said N412bn was projected for capital expenditure, while recurrent expenditure has N361bn and N21bn as reserve.

On his part, the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Dr. Tammy Danagogo said the budget estimate that has been approved by the council is aimed at giving Rivers people a renewed hope that will guarantee the continual harvest of projects and human capital development.

The approval of the 2024 budget estimate was despite the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly which led to emergence of two factional speakers of the state Assembly.

The crisis also saw the defection of 27 lawmakers loyal to Minister of FCT and former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC, during plenary yesterday (Monday).

The Lawmakers during their meeting also vowed that they would decline requests from Governor Fubara for any approval sent to them, since his actions are no longer in tandem with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution as altered, and other extant Laws of the State.

They further called on the Governor to immediately release funds meant for the management of the Assembly for the month of November, 2023;

In the same vein, the Lawmakers also gave second reading to the Rivers State Local Government Law (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which was sponsored by the Leader of the House and Member representing Akuku Toru Constituency 1, Hon Major Jack.

Debating on the Bill, the lawmakers asserted that some sections of the Principal Law which are repugnant to democratic ethos need to be amended to ensure that elected Local Government officials are not at the mercy or whims and caprices of any single individual.

Amaewhule committed the Bill to the House Committee on Local Government to conduct public hearing and make further legislative input within two weeks.

The Lawmakers also adopted a motion moved by the Member representing Omuma constituency in the House, Hon. Sylvanus Nwankwo, to condemn the refusal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara to handover suspects that burnt the hallowed Chamber of the Assembly to law enforcement agencies, and seizure of funds for the management of the Assembly.

Adopting the prayers of the Motion, they condemned the brazen and unlawful attack on members of the Assembly as an institution; and called on Governor Fubara to without further delay handover factional Speaker of the house, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria in the state, Chijioke Ihunwo and other suspects allegedly associated with the razing down of the Assembly Chamber on Sunday, 29th October, 2023.

.As 27 pro-Wike  Assembly lawmakers defect to APC, allege funds starvation

Daily champion reports that the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly on Monday took a different dimension as 27 lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister and ex-Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike dumped the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Lawmakers led by factional Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martins Amaehwule announced their defection from the PDP to the APC during plenary on Monday.

 

Daily Champion gathered that the Lawmakers sat under amidst tight security at the entrance of the Assembly complex along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.

The lawmakers pointed division within the PDP as the reason for their defection to the APC

.Call Wike to order, Ijaw congress urges Tinubu

 

In a swift reaction to the crisis rocking the state, the Ijaw National Congress has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his loyalists to stop their moves aimed at sacking the Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara.

This is as the INC condemned what it labelled as open support by security agencies for the Martins Amaewhule-led faction of the state lawmakers loyal to Wike, whom they gave protection to hold a sitting against a subsisting court order requiring all parties to maintain the status quo and to take no official actions until further notice.

INC, in a statement signed by its President, Prof Benjamin Okaba, on Monday, said it was curious that despite previous interventions of Tinubu and other critical stakeholders, Wike was bent on ensuring the impeachment of Fubara.

“Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, we implore you once again to call Mr Wike and those Federal Government agencies and agents who are putting Rivers State at risk of anarchy, to order. Such elements are inimical to the stability of Nigeria sooner or later,” Okaba said.

The Ijaw leader said, “Mr Wike has also featured on several network TV stations where he made very provocative statements and scandalous claims against Governor Fubara; accusing the governor of attempting to ‘take over’ his ‘structure’, openly taunting him as an ingrate who is lacking in integrity as well as asserting without investigation that the governor masterminded the burning down of the hallowed chamber of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Is Mr Wike at liberty to make scandalous, libellous and inciting comments without fear of sanction from the security agencies or even Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu?

“Is Wike the C-in-C of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, such that those on national assignments in Rivers State now act according to his whims and caprices or those he supports, in the push to impeach or make Rivers State ungovernable for His Excellency Governor Siminialayi Fubara, as he publicly boasted? As we glean from history, can law-abiding citizens suffer such intolerable lawlessness orchestrated by one man, indefinitely?

“We, therefore, submit to Mr President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu  that Ijaw National Congress Worldwide, its affiliate bodies, substructures and activists are direly concerned by the impunity and indecorous conduct by a Minister of the Federal Government and the apparent connivance of those who ought to curb his excesses.”

The apex pan-Ijaw socio-cultural organisation commended Fubara for his calm and mature disposition in the face of insults and provocations by the FCT minister, noting that “such conduct is becoming of a civilised leader and statesman.”

Okaba also lauded the Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers and other stakeholders who were putting the interest of the state above other interests.

He urged all Rivers people and well-meaning Nigerians to stand with Fubara “to protect our democratic institutions and ensure that justice and the will of the masses prevail.”

.APC, SDP members defect to PDP in solidarity with Fubara

However, Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State and their counterpart in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), have switched allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in solidarity with the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

Their action follows earlier defection of 27 lawmakers from PDP to APC. The 27 defectors are loyal to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, who has been locked in a contest for the control of Rivers State with Fubara, his ex-political godson.

In response to the defection of the 27 anti-Fubara lawmakers, several APC chieftains and those in the SDP also joined the PDP.  Among them are; Wilson Karibo, an Assembly candidate in the last election, Dr Patricia W Ogbonnaya, SDP Deputy Governorship candidate, Ned Loving, SDP House of Assembly candidate, along with other executives of the two political parties.

It was earlier reported that the crisis rocking the Rivers State House of Assembly took a new turn when 24 members defected from PDP to APC.

Fubara summons emergency exco meeting as defecting 27 Lawmakers allege funds starvation

The lawmakers cited division within the PDP as the primary reason for their defection to the APC.

Before announcing their defection from PDP to APC, the group accused Fubara of starving them of funds.

.Declare seats vacant, conduct fresh election – LP tells Speaker, INEC

In light of the recent defections, by some members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, The Labour Party has called on the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, to declare their seats vacant, as constitution demands.

 

The party made this known in reaction to the news that 27 members of the House of Assembly, Rivers State, who were formerly of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

In a Statement by the Rivers State Chairman, Hilda Dokubo, the party said defection is unconstitutional and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct fresh election to replace the vacant seats.

 

The Statement reads, “It has come to the attention of the leadership of the Labour Party of the development in the Rivers State House of Assembly where about 27 members of the Assembly were said to have defected from one party to another in disregard to the constitutional provisions.

 

“Section 109. (1) (g) of the Nigeria constitution clearly states that ‘A member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if being a person whose election to the House of Assembly was sponsored by a political party, he becomes a member of another political party before the expiration of the period for which that House was elected.’

 

“The above provision of the constitution is very clear about the fate that must befall on those legislators who betrayed the party that sponsored them. Therefore Labour is calling on the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly to declare vacant the 27 seats of the defected members without delay in line with the laws of the land.

 

“The party is also calling on the Independent National Electoral  Commission, INEC to begin the process of conducting a fresh election to fill the vacant spaces.

 

“Labour Party recalls that in 2022, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja sacked 16 Ebonyi House of Assembly members for defection. The court held that the movement was in breach of Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended which provides that defector legislators are not allowed to retain their seats in the legislature.

 

“The same fate befell on 18 members of the Cross River House of Assembly and 2 members of the House of Representatives who were asked to vacate their seats for defecting from their party last year.

 

“The Labour Party can also vividly recall that in 2012, our member  representing Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency defected to another party. This case lingered until the Supreme Court in 2022 ordered him to immediately vacate his seat following his defection from the Labour Party.

 

“The Court’s unanimous judgement held that the lawmaker who decamped from the Labour Party to another party was constitutionally unfit to retain his seat as a federal lawmaker in the federal House of Representatives.

 

“Though, the case aforementioned was slow in coming but the fact that the apex Court did justice to the matter with a proper interpretation of the law is enough for the political class to be aware that it can no longer take both the electorates and party that sponsored them for elections for a ride.

 

“Labour Party is directly involved in this matter because we know the manipulations and electoral frauds that threw up some of these out-going lawmakers in Rivers State, which unfortunately deprived popular candidates of Labour Party victory in the last election. We believe that with fresh election in Rivers state, the people will have the opportunity to elect their true representatives.” She said.