Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Sunday, dismissed fears of impeachment following Friday’s Supreme Court judgment recognising the 27 lawmakers loyal to ex-governor Nyesom Wike....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE | READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE...
In its far-reaching verdict on Friday, the apex court ordered the Federal Government to stop financial allocation to Rivers State until Fubara retraces his steps and presents the budget to the pro-Wike lawmakers, led by Martins Amaewhule.
The court also nullified the local government election conducted last year by Fubara.
The apex court judgment put the balance of power in the hands of Wike and the lawmakers in the state’s political crisis, which started in October 2023.
At the height of the political crisis between Fubara and his estranged political godfather, the Rivers State House of Assembly has split into two, with 27 lawmakers backing Wike, while four others pitched their tent with Fubara.
In October 2023, the pro-Wike lawmakers had first attempted to impeach Fubara, a move countered by the governor, leading to the destruction of the Assembly complex by a bomb explosion.
Insisting that the pro-Wike lawmakers had lost their legislative seats following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, Fubara had shunned the 27 lawmakers and rather presented the 2024 and 2025 budgets to the four-member Assembly loyal to him.
However, in its Friday judgment, the Supreme Court described Fubara’s action as illegal and ordered him to take the budget to the pro-Wike lawmakers.
However, Despite Friday’s judgment, which shifted the balance of power in favour of the pro-Wike lawmakers, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, dismissed any fear of impeachment by Fubara.
In an interview with The PUNCH, Johnson said,
“Afraid of what? The governor is on his toes and he has the mandate of the Rivers people. The governor will obey the law, respect the sanctity of the law and respect the opinions of Rivers people.
“We are beginning the inauguration of projects on Monday and in the next 10 days, we will be inaugurating projects.
“The governor is not daunted by the shenanigans of detractors of the state.
“The Supreme Court didn’t remove the governor. It merely withholds the allocations of Rivers State.”
Asked whether Fubara will comply with the order to take the budget before the pro-Wike lawmakers, Johnson said the state government was still awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment to study it and guide its decision.
“I cannot say whether we will implement it or not. Let us see what the judgment says, evaluate it and then we will be able to do according to the law without hurting the law or Rivers people,” Johnson said.
He insisted that Amaewhule and 26 others were no longer members of the state Assembly.
“We got a judgment from the Rivers State High Court that said they are no longer members of the state Assembly.
“We got to the Court of Appeal, which said that a state High Court had no jurisdiction.
“If you follow this move, you will agree that obviously the Supreme Court, which is the apex court that we respect, made a pronouncement based on the facts before it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Rivers Elders, who have been supporting Fubara since his crisis with Wike began in 2023, advised
the governor against going to beg his estranged political godfather following the unfavourable Supreme Court judgment.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, a member of the Rivers State’s Elders Forum and pioneer spokesman for the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, High Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe, said the state would not succumb to any unnecessary pressure because of the Supreme Court judgment.
Sara-Igbe, who is also the National Coordinator of the South-South Elders Forum, said, “Well, Rivers State will not succumb to unnecessary pressure. Rivers State cannot succumb to somebody who wants to take over the state and we cannot beg anybody in this matter.
“The Federal Government and the Supreme Court want to know what will happen. At the appropriate time, they will see what will happen.”
When asked if elders of the state would advise Fubara to beg Wike and the 27 lawmakers, Sara-Igbe said, “We will not.”
