Rivers crisis: Respect Rule of Law, APC tells parties

From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has appealed to the parties involved in the lingering House of Assembly and government crisis to respect the rule of law.

State Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, made the appeal following the judgement of the Court of Appeal on Thursday, that quashed the verdict of Justice Charles Wali of the State High Court that declared the seats of 25 pro-Wike lawmakers vacant.

Nwauju said: “We urge parties in dispute to respect the path of the rule of law and constitutionality and approach the highest Court if they deem it expedient.

“The fact that the Court of Appeal has taken a decision one way or the other, poo pooh’s the fact that while awaiting the decision of this Court, the madness that took place on the 25th of June, 2024, in the name of a protest for which an improvised explosive device was detonated, was ab initio infantile, illogical and grossly irresponsible.

“Finally, today’s ruling does not vitiate the fact that the 26 Assemblymen did defect from the PDP to the APC.”

Also, a chieftain of APC in the state, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said that there is nothing to celebrate in the judgement delivered by the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on the lingering Rivers State House of Assembly crisis involving Martin Amaewhule-led faction.

He expressed: “I am sad but not on the outcome of today’s Court of Appeal ruling pertaining to Rivers State Assembly imbroglio, but lack of understanding being exhibited by the pro-Wike ex-lawmakers and their followers over their celebration of a non-existing phantom victory.

“To my understanding, the Court of Appeal only ruled that the Rivers State High Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain the case in first place, thereafter issuing the ex parte order stopping Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly as such issue can only be entertained by the Federal High Court and not the State High Court.

“The Court of Appeal didn’t entertain the major subject matter of Amaewhule and his group defecting from PDP to APC which caused them to cease as lawmakers. So, what are they celebrating when they are aware that by defecting from PDP to APC they ceased to be lawmakers?

He advised: “I will only counsel the law abiding citizens of Rivers State to be calm and not give in to the plot of these ex-lawmakers to ignite anarchy in the State to achieve their sinister aim of declaration of State of emergency in the State.

“It is unfortunate that both the President and political stakeholders are just watching a plot that is capable of derailing and truncating our hard earned democracy.”