Tinubu, stakeholders resolve Rivers’ crisis

Major stakeholders in the political crisis rocking Rivers State have agreed to resolve the conflict.

The decision was taken at a meeting President Bola Tinubu held with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, a former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili, and the immediate past Governor, Nyesom Wike, and other stakeholders at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

According to a resolution signed Monday night, the President directed that all matters instituted in the courts by the governor and his team in respect of the political crisis be withdrawn immediately.

Also, all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the state House of Assembly should be dropped immediately.

The resolution was signed by Fubara, Wike; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Speaker, Rivers State Assembly, Martin Amaewhule; PDP Chairman, Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka and APC Chairman, Rivers State, Tony Okocha.

The resolution read, “The leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly as led by the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule shall be recognised alongside the 27 members who resigned from the PDP.

“The remunerations and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the Governor of Rivers State shall henceforth not interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.”

Given the inhabitable state of the Rivers State House of Assembly building, Tinubu directed that the lawmakers “shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interreference and/or hindrance from the Executive arm of government.”

Also, Fubara, who had earlier presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill of his state to four members of the Assembly “shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.”

Likewise, the President directed that the names of all commissioners in the Rivers State Executive Council who resigned their appointments because of the political crisis in the state “should be resubmitted to the House of Assembly for approval” adding that “There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State” declaring the dissolution of the Local Government administration as “null and void”.

Meanwhile, The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission from conducting by-elections for the 27 defected Peoples Democratic Party’s lawmakers.

The lawmakers whose seats have been declared vacant by the state’s party chapter include the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and 26 others said to be loyalists of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike who defected to the All Progressives Congress on December 11.

 

Others are Hon. Dumle Maol, Hon. Major Jack, Hon. Linda Somiari-Stewart, Hon. Franklin Nwaboshi, Hon. Christopher Ofiks, Hon. Azeru Opara, Hon. Olabo George; Hon. Tonye Adoki, Hon. Granville Wellington; Hon. Mgbar Bernard; Hon. John Dominic Iderima and Hon. Queen Williams.

And Hon. Loolo Opuende; Hon. Abbey Peter, Hon. Igwe  Aforji; Hon. Justina Emeji, Hon. Ignatius Onwuka; Hon. Chimezie Nwankwo, Hon. Lemchi Nyeche; Hon. Barile Nwakoh, Hon. Emelia  Amadi; Hon. Nkemjika Ezekwe; Hon. Davids Okobiriari; Hon. Nwankwo Sylvanus; Hon. Gerald Oforji and Hon. Wami Solomon.

In a suit marked FHC/AB3/CS/1681/23 in which the lawmakers are the plaintiffs while INEC;  Peoples Democratic Party, Rivers state House of Assembly, Clerk Rivers State House of Assembly; Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services are 1st to 5th respondents.

The lawmakers had sought an order restraining the 1 Defendants/Respondents, and either 3rd by themselves, their officials, officers, servants, agents, servants, staff, or privies from declaring vacant or taking any steps to declare vacant their seats.

They also asked the court to stop INEC from conducting fresh elections to fill their seats pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

In the judgment delivered on December 15, Justice Donatus Okorowo also issued an interim order stopping the first respondent from conducting a fresh election pending the determination of the case.

The  Certified True Copies of the judgment sighted on Monday by our correspondent partly read, “An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 1st and 3rd Defendants/Respondents, either by themselves, their officials, officers, servants, agents, servants, staff, or privies (anyhow so-called), from declaring vacant or taking any steps whatsoever to declare vacant the seats of the Plaintiffs/Applicants at the Rivers State House of Assembly; from withdrawing the Plaintiff/Applicants’ respective Certificates of Return and from conducting fresh elections to fill in the seats of the Plaintiffs/Applicants at the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

 

“An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent from conducting fresh elections to fill the seats of the Plaintiffs/Applicants in the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

.Tinubu, Fubara, Odili, others in crucial meeting in Aso Rock

President Bola Tinubu on Monday commenced fresh move to resolve the political crisis in Rivers state.

He met behind closed door with the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the former governor of Rivers State, Sir Peter Odili, and some other stakeholders from the state at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

This is coming on the heels of the face-off between the governor and his predecessor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.

The FCT Minister was earlier seen at the State House.

Although the agenda of the meeting between the President and the the Rivers State gladiator in thebcrisis was not made public at the time of filing this report, it might not be unconnected with the recent developments in the state in which 27 out of 32 members of the State House of Assembly, who are loyalists of the FCT Minister, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Also at the meeting is the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, and the Rivers State deputy governor.

.as Rivers elders reject moves to impeach Fubara, seek Tinubu’s intervention

Peeved by the political crisis in Rivers State, elders and leader of the state led by a former Governor, Chief Rufus Ada-George  have said the attempt to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara is unacceptable.

 

The elders also condemned the recent defection of 27 lawmakers of the state State House of Assembly from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress,

 

This was contained in a communique issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the  elders and leaders on Sunday  in Port Harcourt and made available to newsmen.

 

The communique was signed by Ada-George, pioneer spokesman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe and 12 others.

The elders also expressed dismay that neither Fubara nor his predecessor, Nyesom Wike  responded to their letters to seek audience with them on the deteriorating political crisis in the state.

 

They described the happenings in the state as embarrassing and dangerous, especially the bombing of the state House of Assembly on October 29, 2023 and attack on Fubara allegedly by some security agents on Monday, October 30, 2023.

The communiqué read in part, “The Forum regretted that neither Governor Siminialayi Fubara nor Chief Nyesom Wike responded to our letters seeking for audience with each of them.

 

“The attempt to impeach the Governor of Rivers State barely about six months in office without explaining to the good people of the state the reasons and infractions of law is unacceptable.

“The Forum condemned every form of violence and lawlessness in Rivers State and therefore demand proper investigation of the crisis and those responsible be brought to justice.

 

“The Forum reviewed the demolition of the Rivers State House of Assembly by the Rivers State Government and urged the government to expedite action on rebuilding the demolished House of Assembly complex so that lawmakers will continue their legislative business in the permanent site within the shortest possible time.

 

“The Forum condemns in its entirety, the misuse of Rivers people political power vested in politicians by the people for personal gains and interest. Hence, we condemn in its entirety, the recent defection of 27 lawmakers without recourse to their constituents.”

 

The elders said they were aware of and thus rejected reported the “shopping and purchase of legal instruments outside Rivers State to cause crisis in the State, thereby endangering human lives and property.

 

“An alleged already written/ premeditated court ruling by one Justice Donatus Okorowo of Federal High Court 8 Abuja on an ex parte application secretly filled in the night by pro-Wike former lawmakers which the judge wants to deliver on Monday where he wants to stop the declaration of their seats vacant (an action that have been done) and also give them the legitimacy to move in with DSS and police to start the illegal impeachment of Gov. Fubara”

The elders described the developments as disturbing.

“The forum therefore urged the judiciary and all security agencies to be wary and alive in discharging their responsibilities in order not to worsen the already tensed atmosphere in Rivers State.

“Finally, the Forum urges President Bola Tinubu, to consolidate on his earlier intervention as the consequences of inaction may not only affect Rivers State, the Niger Delta region and the Federal Government,” the elders concluded.