Impeachment, Not Part Of Supreme Court Ruling…PDP
This was the statement issued by Rivers State PDP today during a press conference on the crisis rocking the state
TEXT OF A PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE STATE WORKING COMMITTEE OF PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY PDP RIVERS STATE CHAPTER ON TUESDAY MARCH 18TH 2025 PRESENTED BY HIGH CHIEF NNAME ROBINSON EWOR
Protocols…
We have watched with disdain events in our dear state over the past one month especially after the Supreme Court judgement on Friday February 28, 2025 and come up with the following observations;
1. While we acknowledge that the Supreme Court is the highest and final court of the land, the Supreme Court in itself is not fallible. Thus is capable of committing error.
2. That HE Sir (Dr) Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS is and remains the elected executive Governor of Rivers State, elected to deliver good governance, infrastructure and security. He is in a position to implement the Supreme Court judgement especially as it concerns resumption of a full 32 members Rivers State House of Assembly and Re-presentation of the annual budget (Appropriation Bill). The implementation of this judgement by the Governor has commenced with the following steps;
a) Dissolution of the 23 Local Government Councils.
b) Fixing of a Local Government council election date by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) for Saturday August 9, 2025.
c) One unsuccessful attempt to represent the 2025 Appropriation Bill by the Governor which the House of Assembly refused to accept.
d) A scheduled representation of the 2025 budget for Wednesday March 19, 2025.
These attempts by the Governor to quickly and timely implement the Supreme Court judgement is highly commendable, even though as a party we disagree with the entirety of the judgement, for example;
i) The Nigeria nation is a federation, with three federating units, the Federal, State and the Local Government System. The Local Government System is the third Tier of Government with autonomy, and therefore cannot be lumped in a dispute between two arms of the second tier of Government (State). By the provisions of the Constitution, the state can only guarantee its existence.
ii) Elections into the Local Government System is strictly conducted under the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission law (RSIEC) and not “THE ELECTORAL ACT.” In this case, the Supreme Court voided the election with non-compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act, we completely disagree with their position.
iii) Electoral issues are resolved by the Election Tribunal. And actions can only be initiated by Parties that participated in the process. The litigant in this case the All Progressive Congress APC did not participate in the election and therefore have no locus standi to initiate the action against the election. Besides, the federal high court sitting in Abuja is not an election tribunal and cannot adjudicate on the October 5, 2024 Local Government election.
iv) The issues of membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Speakership of the House of Assembly, including defection was not before the Supreme Court. What was before the Supreme Court was issues of the presentation of the 2024 Appropriation Bill (Budget). The issues Justice Omotosho decided was 2024 Budget presentation. But the Supreme Court went ahead to grant reliefs litigants did not initiate and commence action, for example, status of the 27 law makers of the House, Defection of the 27 Rivers Assembly lawmakers and seizure of monthly statutory allocation to the state. Again, we completely disagree with the position of the Supreme Court.
On the status of Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule and the other 26 law makers, the Supreme Court said they have not defected, but as a party, we have records of their defection and we maintain that they are no longer members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. Evidence abound of their defection i.e
(a) A sworn affidavit in an Abuja high court,
(b) Reading of defection letters by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule at the Hallowed chambers,
(c) Reception by the All Progressive Congress (APC) by their then Acting Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha in an event at Polo Club,
(d) Acknowledgment of their defection by the Eight Point Agenda Peace Accord by our dear president Bola Tinubu etc.
The Supreme Court having affirmed their membership of the House of Assembly and Speakership, they are mandatorily expected
(i) To make laws for good governance of the State,
(ii) Receive the 2025 Appropriation Bill from the Governor and
(iii) Co-operate with the other arms of Government; Executive and Judiciary to ensure Security of lives and properties in the State.
Gentlemen of the Press,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Instead of the Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule led Assembly to follow the path of peace by working towards the implementation of the Supreme Court Judgement, Amaewhule and 26 other law makers have again chosen the path of “DISHONOUR.”
IMPEACHMENT IS NOT PART OF THE JUDGMENT OF THE SUPREME COURT. THEREFORE THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY CANNOT AT THIS MOMENT CONTEMPLATE IMPEACHMENT WHEN THE GOVERNOR AND HIS TEAM ARE BUSY IMPLEMENTING THE SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT.
One will begin to wonder at this point, what exactly did Amaewhule and his colleagues want from the Governor and Government of our dear state and indeed Rivers people. The Supreme Court has given them all they asked for, including reliefs they did not sought. What else do they want? Perhaps “THE HEAD OF JOHN THE BAPTIST”. It is simply not available.
In the light of the above,
We call on our dear Governor Sir (Dr) Siminalayi Fubara GSSRS, Executive Governor of Rivers State to fully implement the Supreme Court Judgment;
1. By conducting Local Government Election. Again, you have graciously implemented this order by Dissolving the 23 Local Government Council and fixing a fresh election for Saturday August 9, 2025.
2. Allow full sitting of 32 members House of Assembly with Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule presiding as Speaker. Again, you have graciously implemented this order by allowing the House to sit and Amaewhule presiding as speaker.
3. Re-present the 2025 Appropriation Bill, once again you have demonstrated full commitment to represent the 2025 budget.
i) In your first visit to the house of Assembly to represent the Budget, you were denied access into the House of Assembly by Amaewhule and his colleagues.
ii) You have again chosen Wednesday the 19th day of March 2025 to represent the 2025 budget. We urge you to keep to this commitment and represent the budget on the scheduled date.
iii) As to the issue of Impeachment Notice to You and your deputy, we urge you to give it less attention, as it is not part of the Supreme Court Judgement.
To Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule and the 26 other law makers;
i) We urge you to embrace peace, as peace is the only path to progress.
ii) Work towards the full implementation of the Supreme Court judgment; including:
(1) playing key role in the forthcoming Local Government election.
(2) Accepting the representation of the 2025 Appropriation Bill (Budget) by the Governor scheduled for Wednesday March 19, 2025.
(3) Drop and or withdraw your impeachment Notice to the Governor and his Deputy, it’s not part of the Supreme Court judgement and it cannot bring progress to the State.
To our former Governor and current federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, we call on you to ensure peace in Rivers State and guaranty good working relationship between the Executive and legislative arm of Government, which you once enjoyed in your 8 years as Governor of our dear State.
To our party supporters and Rivers people, peace is the only part to progress, continue to maintain peace, continue to trust our Governor and keep faith with the Government of the State.
To our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the war against our state is state-sponsored, we therefore implore you to advise your appointees to stop weaponization of federal agencies, including the judiciary. There is enough insecurity in the country, there is no point creating one in our dear peaceful state, Rivers. Stopping the federal Allocation to the state is a call to anarchy. What it is simply means is shutting down Governance in the state, denying citizens, including civil servants of livelihood. Remember, laws are made for men, and not men made for law. Therefore we call you (our president), that inspite of the Supreme Court Judgment, you use your presidential powers to ensure that Rivers Allocation is not seized. President Donald Trump demonstrated it in the United States when the Supreme Court rule that TIKTOK be banned. Trump intervened using presidential powers, and today Tiktok is operating in the United States of America.
Thank you and God Bless you all.
LONG LIVE GOVERNOR FUBARA.
LONG LIVE RIVERS STATE.
LONG LIVE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
