•All court cases instituted by Fubara to be withdrawn
•Impeachment processes against gov dropped
•Amaewhule-led leadership, 26 defected members recognised
•Assembly to decide where to sit henceforth
•Gov to re-present 2024 appropriation bill to legislature
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Alex Enumah in Abuja, and Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
After weeks of brickbats, President Bola Tinubu, at a meeting with critical stakeholders from Rivers State yesterday, pushed through an eight-point peace plan to end the feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his godfather, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
But Tinubu’s intervention raised questions. Will it end the crisis? Will it bring about peace? And what manner of peace will it bring? Genuine peace or peace of the graveyard? Time will tell.
By the presidential diplomacy, many believed both camps in the Rivers impasse might have chosen to live to fight another day.
The president, who apparently bow to pressure from across the country, stepped into the Rivers crisis, and held a closed-door meeting with the stakeholders in the state, including former Governor Peter Odili, at State House, Abuja, where an eight-point peace deal was drafted.
Elders and leaders in the state had also appealed to Tinubu to consolidate his earlier intervention in the rift between Fubara and Wike, warning that the consequences of inaction may not only affect Rivers State, but the entire Niger Delta, and Nigeria at large.
A non-profit organisation, One Love Foundation (OLF), also expressed concern and called on Tinubu to wade in to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
But the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed the determination to defend the 27 lawmakers, whose seats were declared vacant following their defection from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to APC, until they were able to properly commence their legislative duties.
Meanwhile, contrary to public belief, the order of a Federal High Court halting the removal of the 27 lawmakers of Rivers State House of Assembly, which surfaced on the social a day before it was, allegedly, scheduled to be delivered, had actually been issued two days before it came into the public space.
However, the Rivers peace meeting was at the instance of the president and had in attendance Vice President Kashim Shettima, Fubara, Wike, Odili, Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. The meeting lasted over two hours, before ending at 8.17pm.
At the end of the meeting, an eight-point communique, titled, “Directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State,” was jointly signed by all the stakeholders in attendance.
The signatories included Fubara; Wike; Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Professor Ngozi Odu; Ribadu; Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule; PDP chairman in Rivers State, Aaron Chukwuemeka; and Rivers State APC chairman, Tony Okocha.
The communique directed that all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara and his team in respect of the political crisis be withdrawn immediately. It also directed that all impeachment proceedings initiated against the governor by the Assembly should be dropped immediately.
The communique stated that the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly under Amaewhule should be recognised alongside the 27 members, who had left PDP for APC.
Other resolutions of the meeting included that the remunerations and benefits of all members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and their staff must be reinstated immediately and the governor should no longer interfere with the full funding of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
According to the communique, “The Rivers State House of Assembly shall choose where they want to sit and conduct their legislative business without interference and/or hindrance from the executive arm of government
“The governor of Rivers State, Sir Fubara, shall re-present the state budget to a properly constituted Rivers State House of Assembly.
“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.
“There should not be a caretaker committee for the local governments in Rivers State. The dissolution of the local government administrations is null and void and shall not be recognised.”
Rivers Elders Forum Wades into Feud
Rivers State Elders and Leaders Forum called on Tinubu to consolidate his earlier intervention in the rift between Fubara and Wike, and warned about the grave consequences of inaction on, not only the state, but also the Niger Delta and Nigeria, generally.
At a briefing with journalists in Port Harcourt, the forum led by a former governor of the state, Chief Rufus Ada-George, condemned the misuse of the political power of the Rivers people vested in politicians for personal gains and interest.
They also condemned the attempt to impeach Fubara barely six months into his tenure without explaining to the people of the state his offence. They said the infractions of the law were unacceptable.
The forum further condemned every form of violence and lawlessness in the state as a result of the rift, and demanded proper investigation into the crisis, stressing that those found culpable be brought to justice.
Ada-George said, “The forum regretted that neither Governor Siminalayi Fubara nor Chief Nyesom Wike responded to our letters seeking for audience with each of them.”
On the demolition of the Assembly complex, the forum urged the government to expedite action on rebuilding the structure to enable lawmakers continue their legislative business in the permanent site within the shortest time possible.
The former governor stated, “The forum is aware of and, thus, rejects the news making the rounds on social media of Forum Shopping and Purchase of Legal Instruments outside Rivers State to cause crisis in the state, thereby endangering human lives and property.
“An alleged 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 tomorrow, being Monday, where he wants to stop the declaration of their seats vacant (an action that has been done) and also give them the legitimacy to move in with DSS and police to start the illegal impeachment of Gov. Fubara.”
The forum urged the judiciary and all security agencies to be wary and alive in discharging their responsibilities in order not to worsen the already tense atmosphere in Rivers State.
Others who signed the communique, aside from Ada-George, included former Deputy Governor Gabriel Toby, O. P. Fingesi, HH Anabs Sara-Igbe, Prof Dagogo Fubara, Mrs Annkio Briggs, Senator Andrew Uchendu, and Senator Wilson A. Ake.
In a related development, a chieftain of APC in the state, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, condemned those blaming Fubara for the demolition of the Assembly complex.
Eze said, “The governor acted upon the advice of Nyesom Wike, when he was commissioning the legislative complex sometime two years ago, when he stated that the State Assembly built about 20 years ago is leaking water and in a very deplorable condition and need to be looked into, which may have caused the demolition of the complex.”
‘Why President Tinubu Needs to Intervene’
A non-profit organisation, One Love Foundation (OLF), expressed concern over the Rivers crisis and called on Tinubu to wade in to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
Founder and President OLF, Chief Patrick Eholor, in a statement, pointed out, “No individual, regardless of their political influence, should play the role of a self-appointed deity within our democratic framework.”
Eholor said well-meaning Nigerians should not sit back and allow brazen impunity to go on in a volatile state, like Rivers, hence, Tinubu should intervene to de-escalate the rising tension in the state, since Wike is a serving member of his cabinet.
Eholor said on the statement, “In the face of the growing crisis in Rivers State, I, Chief Dr. Patrick Eholor, founder of the One Love Foundation, feel compelled to raise my voice in concern and appeal to the federal government, under the leadership of President Tinubu, to urgently intervene and address the escalating tensions that threaten the peace and stability of our great nation.
“Wike’s public admission that he bought tickets for the entire Port Harcourt House of Assembly, including the governor, is a brazen violation of democratic norms.
“In an ideal society, such actions would warrant serious consequences, and Wike, in my sincere opinion, should be facing the appropriate legal repercussions. No individual, regardless of their political influence, should play the role of a self-appointed deity within our democratic framework.”
APC Determined to Defend 27 Lawmakers
The Rivers State chapter of APC expressed its determination to defend the 27 embattled state lawmakers until they were able to properly commence their legislative duties.
APC Caretaker Committee Chairman in the state, Tony Okocha, who spoke during a dedication service/stakeholders meeting held in Port Harcourt, assured the 27 members, who defected from pdp TO APC, that the party would strongly support them in their activities.
Okocha explained that the essence of the stakeholders meeting was for the party to plan and forge ahead for greater achievements ahead of 2027. He also urged members of the party to overcome anger over whatever might have happened in the past, and collaborate in planning for a brighter and greater future for the party.
He stated, “We will not pull over anger over what had happened in the past. We are here to plan for future, which is the essence of this meeting. If that is the case, then I owe you a duty to apologise to all of us, members of the APC Rivers State. Please, accept our apologies.”
On his part, National Legal Adviser of APC, Abdulkarim Kana, said he was instructed by the president and national chairman of APC to formerly welcome the Rivers State Speaker, Martins Amaewhule, and other members of PDP to APC.
Kana said the president and the party’s national chairman recognised that the defected 27 former PDP members were now with APC and respected their decision to join APC in moving the country forward.
Earlier, Amaewhule, who led other 26 lawmakers, said particulars and evidence that necessitated their defection to APC had been recorded in their files and sent to the House of Assembly.
He said the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of Tinubu would expand the economy of the country, hence, the decision to join APC and support the president to achieve the agenda.
Twists as Controversial Interim Order in Assembly Crisis Delivered Since Friday
An order of a Federal High Court halting the removal of 27 lawmakers in the Rivers State House of Assembly, which surfaced on the social space a day before it was scheduled to be delivered, was discovered to have been issued two days before it came into the public space.
A draft ruling purported to be from Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had gone viral on social media. The alleged ruling indicated that the court restrained the electoral umpire and five others from taking any steps that would affect the 27 lawmakers, who were the plaintiffs/applicants, from carrying out their legislative functions at the Rivers State House of Assembly, because of their defection from PDP to APC.
The ruling, which, according to the court document, would have been issued yesterday, suddenly, surfaced on the social media 24 hours before delivery.
According to a copy of the ruling, Okorowo, in granting an ex parte order, restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), PDP, Rivers State House of Assembly, Clerk of Rivers State House of Assembly, the Inspector General (IG) of Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) from taking any steps to remove the 27 lawmakers from office over their defection.
The purported ruling in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023, was dated Monday, December 18, 2023, although it was not signed by the judge.
Besides, the purported ruling did not state who filed the suit or moved the ex parte application on behalf of the plaintiffs/applicants.
However, yesterday, when journalists visited the court, it was learnt that the ruling had been made on the evening of Friday, December 15, and the draft dated Monday, December 18, was not from the court.
A registrar of the court, who disclosed this to journalists, advised them to apply for a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the ruling to enable them compare and contrast with the viral draft ruling.
Nevertheless, a group of lawyers called for investigation of the matter, upon discovery that the said restraining order was issued on Friday by the court.
Leader of the group, under the aegis of Concerned Lawyers in Defence of Democracy, Kingdom Okere, called on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, to order full scale investigation into the process that led to the issuance of the ex-parte order.
Okere stated that the investigation was necessary in order not to soil the reputation of the judiciary, especially that of the Federal High Court.
He stated, “We gathered that there is going to be a ruling by Justice Donatus Okorowo, on Monday, December 18, 2023 and that they intercepted the information.
“I know the workings of the court, the application was filed last week Wednesday and it was hurriedly assigned between the day it was filed and last Friday to Justice Okorowo and ruling is expected to be delivered today, December 18.
“One interesting thing I want the media to know is that, there is a twist to what we saw in the media. The registrar in the court of Justice Okorowo has confirmed that the application was filed and that it was brought before their court. He added that the ruling was delivered on Friday.
“The question we are asking this morning is, what is the urgency in that matter. Why will such application be filed on Wednesday, got to Justice Okorowo on Friday, and sat on same that day and deliver ruling on it?
“We have applied for the Certified True Copy of the order and paid and we are going to pursue this matter to logical conclusion.
“We are calling on the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to investigate the order said to have been given by Justice Okorowo. This Nigeria cannot be taken by politicians into their pockets.”
