• Assembly members accuse Gov Fubara of funds starvation 

• INC, Clark express concerns, urge Tinubu to intervene

 

From Ndubuisi Orji, Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja, Tony John, Port Harcourt and Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

 

Fear that Governor Siminalayi Fubara might be impeached has gripped Rivers State following the defection of  27 members of the  House of Assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, Nyesom Wike.

The lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The faction led by its Speaker, Mr. Martin Amaewhule, accused the governor of withholding funds for the management of the Assembly. Speaking after reading the letters signed by the defected lawmakers, Amaewhule directed the Clerk of the House to convey their resolution to Governor Fubara and other relevant authorities.

The legislators said they took the decision following failure of the national leadership of the PDP to address the lingering crisis in the House of Assembly, which erupted on October 30, after the aborted plot to impeach the governor.

Mixed reactions have trailed the defection with the PDP demanding the conduct of fresh election in 27 constituencies even as factions of the APC in Rivers expressed contrary views.

PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, argued that the seats of the lawmakers have become vacant following their defection to the APC and urged them to stop parading themselves as state legislators forthwith.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Section 109 (1) of the 1999 Constitution provides that ‘a member of a House of Assembly shall vacate his seat in the House if … (g) 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…’

“By reason of the above Constitutional provision and its clear interpretation by the Supreme Court, the 27 defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have vacated and lost their seats, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations accruable to members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“The PDP therefore demands that the Speaker of the Rivers State House Assembly immediately comply with the provision of the Constitution by declaring the seats of the 27 former lawmakers vacant.

“In view of the vacancy now existing in the 27 State Constituencies in Rivers State, the PDP demands that INEC should within the stipulated period under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) conduct fresh election to fill the vacancies.

“Our Party cautions that the former lawmakers should stop parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly as such would amount to impersonation with serious criminal consequences.”

•APC factions disagree

Reacting to the defection, the faction of the APC loyal to former minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, said if any politician from the ruling party wanted to join the party, it should not be through the back door (court).

Spokesperson for the faction, Mr. Darlington Nwauju, said: “You must not join APC through the back door. You must join through constitutional means. The constitution is clear on how to join our party. So, what we heard happened today is what I would call “another abracadabra” by those who  once described APC as “Stage Four Cancer.

“The big  elephant, the face behind all crises within the APC, the face behind all the confusion in the politics of Rivers State would finally end up announcing membership of  the APC. I mean the FCT minister. And, so, it is abundantly clear that what we have been talking about is now justified.”

But the Chairman of APC Caretaker Committee in the state, Tony Okocha, described the defection  as a welcome development.

“This administration claims to be running a government of continuity but there is no continuation and continuity just a few months away. All the achievements of Wike have been confined to history. There is nothing happening in the state, what is happening is a quarrel and this is not what Rivers people bargained for.  At this point, it is no longer fashionable for the PDP in Rivers State to thrive, it is important the steps are taken to entrench new developments.”

•INC expresses concerns

The Ijaw National Congress (INC) expressed concern over the political crisis in Rivers State and its far-reaching implication for the peace, stability and corporate existence of Nigeria in the long run.

President of INC, Prof Benjamin Okaba in a statement: ‘Recent Events in Rivers State and Matters Arising’, lamented that some security agencies have exhibited an open bias for a faction of the House of Assembly to hold sittings in violations of subsisting Court order.

He said it was curious that after the fatherly intervention of the President Tinubu in the crisis, there have been sponsored media attacks against the Governor Fubara.

Okaba who called on President Tinubu to call the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike to order, warned that Rivers State was at the brink of anarchy.

It commended Governor Fubara’s calmness and saluted the stance of traditional rulers and other critical stakeholders for putting the interest of Rivers State beyond personal interest.

It implored all stakeholders in Rivers to be resolute in defending democracy and condemned all acts of lawlessness that could lead to breakdown of law and order.

•Clark: Call Wike to order

Leader of  Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), has again written to President Bola Tinubu,  calling on him to urgently intervene and douse tension in what he described as “the state of deep political divide in Rivers State”.

In a statement titled: “ANOTHER CLARION CALL ON MR. PRESIDENT TO INTERVENE IN THE SITUATION IN RIVERS STATE” the South-South leader recalled that he had four weeks back at a press conference urged the president to personally intervene when the political crisis started in Rivers State, to handle this matter. 

He applauded President Tinubu for the action he took at the time, including urging the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor in office, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory to sheath their swords. 

He, however, regretted that the situation is not yet over and things seem to be degenerating by the day. 

Clark described both Fubara and Wike as his sons hence his interest to ensure that peace returns as soon as possible to the state.  He added that Rivers State is important to the stability of the Niger Delta and the overall national economy, saying, “Therefore, any breakdown of law and order there will not be in the overall interest of all.”

According to the elder statesman, it is surprising that while the governor has since gone on to apologise to the people of the state over how the political intrigues created anxiety and tension in the state when it occurred, Wike’s  public utterances and other related developments do not give an impression that he has moved much forward in resolving this matter. 

He wondered why the minister was keeping structures and for what purpose, especially when in his days as a governor, he had attacked the concept of godfatherism as totally unacceptable.

Clark urged President Tinubu to call Wike to order and to face the work he has been assigned as minister in the quietness which is demanded of him.

“The country has enough problems which your government must sit down to solve.  The FCT itself is full of challenges all over and he has more than he can chew and therefore avoids these distractions.”

•Ogoni fume

Reacting to  the political crisis, the Ogoni Development  Drive, (ODD) said the move by the factional lawmakers to access the assembly complex despite court orders restraining parties involved in the crisis from doing so was a total neglect to the rule of law and condemned the action.

The group led by its President, Solomon Lenu, during a briefing in Port Harcourt accused the judiciary of complicity The group also accused the police of compromise, questioning why the Assembly Complex should be opened to a faction when there was a court order restraining the two groups from accessing the complex.

The group urged the new Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, not to allow himself to be dragged into the mud