The Chairman and members of the Rivers State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have hailed the Supreme Court for its decisions on several court cases stemming from the protracted political crises in Rivers State, caused by litigations rocking the Rivers State government on one hand and the House of Assembly (Legislature) on the other.
The Apex Court on Friday delivered its judgments on cases which, to the surprise and disappointment of many in the state, were in favor of the pro-Wike group both at the State House of Assembly and the local government areas.
Some of the Supreme Court’s judgments included that the CBN and the Accountant-General should withhold further revenue allocation to the state until the Governor presents an Appropriation Bill to the Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly; that Martins Amaewhule is the Speaker of the House of Assembly; that the 26 other members are validly elected members who are to make laws for the good governance of Rivers State; that the other four members of the Assembly cannot form a quorum and that any action taken by them on appropriation is invalid; that Martins Amaewhule and members should proceed with law-making unhindered for the good people of Rivers State; and that the purported local government election on October 5, 2024, having not followed the laid-down procedures, due process, local government laws, the Electoral Act (as amended), and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), is declared invalid and is deemed never to have taken place.
Delivering its rulings on some of the cases that have plagued Rivers State since October 2023, the Supreme Court reiterated that obedience to the laws of the land is the only path to achieving peace, tranquility, and development.
In its reaction to the judgment, the Rivers APC observed that the Apex Court placed the blame for the crises rocking the oil- and gas-rich state squarely on Governor Fubara.
According to the court, the crisis in the state was orchestrated by flagrant disobedience to the laws—specifically, the Oaths of Office and Allegiance. The refusal of the Executive arm of government under Governor Fubara to abide by the principles of Separation of Powers and the Rule of Law led to the incessant breakdown of law and order in the state.
The pro-Wike faction of the Rivers APC stated that the Supreme Court’s rulings justified the party’s stance on most of the contentious issues troubling the state since 2023.
A statement signed by Chibike Ikenga, Publicity Secretary of the sacked Tony Okocha-led faction of the party, reads in part:
“As a party, you will recall that we had, on various occasions, called on Governor Fubara to obey court orders, rulings, judgments, and extant laws for the sake of peace. However, all our entreaties fell on deaf ears as the Governor was more interested in listening to ‘conflict-preneurs’ who exploited his naivety to scam the state, dealing a severe blow to our treasury and development.
“Some of these so-called later-day saints failed to consider the consequences of siphoning funds meant for the state’s development into their private pockets, to the detriment of the masses.
“Our challenge to the unconstitutionality of the local government election, which has now been validated by the Supreme Court, was done in good faith to safeguard the resources of the people at the third tier of government from further deterioration.
“Finally, we assure the citizens of the state that, as the opposition party, we will continue to act as watchdogs for good governance and the qualitative delivery of the yearnings and aspirations of our people.”
Conversely, the state government, through its spokesman and Commissioner for Information and Communication, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, stated that the government was still awaiting the details of the judgment to fully understand and act upon it.
He said:
“We have taken note of reports in the media regarding the recent judgment of the Supreme Court concerning the funds of Rivers State and the administration of local governments in the state.
“At this time, we are awaiting a detailed briefing on the implications of the judgment. We will carefully evaluate the situation and determine the next steps to take in the best interest of Rivers State and its people.
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“Though we have not yet received the full details of the judgment from our legal team, we urge Rivers people to remain calm, law-abiding, and to go about their legitimate businesses as we seek clarity on the ruling.
“We believe that the determination of the main issue of the defection of the 27 lawmakers is a matter not before the Supreme Court, as it is still pending at the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt. Since the issue of defection was not under consideration before the learned Justices, Amaewhule and the 26 others are still operating as lawmakers until that matter is brought before the court.
“We assure you that we remain committed to upholding our mandate to protect the best interests of Rivers State and to ensure adherence to the rule of law in all matters affecting our dear state.”
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