Rivers Assembly Issues Warrant Of Arrest On RSIEC Chairman, Commissioner

Invoking its powers to issue a warrant to compel the attendance of any person who, after having been summoned to attend, fails, refuses or neglects to attend, the Rivers State House of Assembly, on Monday, at its 133rd Legislative Sitting, rode on the crest of Section 129(1) (d) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, and resolved to wield the big stick, by issuing a warrant of arrest on the Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (Rtd), and other commissioners of the commission for repeated failure to appear before the House, to explain the Commission’s alleged malfeasance in the conduct of the purported ill-starred 5th October 2024 Local Government Elections in the State; and where the commission expects to generate funds to conduct the proposed 2025 election.

The House resolved after three former Members of the Commission who resigned their appointments recently appeared before the House to explain their roles. The House Leader, Hon. Major Jack, then read Section 129 (1)(d) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution to remind the House of the powers donated to them as an Assembly by the Constitution, emphasizing the flagrant refusal of Justice Enebeli (Rtd) and other members of the Commission to honour the summons.

Contributing, Members spoke angrily of the abysmal conduct of Members of the Commission, more particularly the Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, being a retired Judge of the Rivers State High Court.

Commenting on the issue before putting the question, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule decried the situation where those who appeared before the House for screening and confirmation when they were seeking to be appointed now treat summons from the House with levity, adding that the House is empowered by Section 128 of the Constitution to investigate within their legislative competence, therefore Retired Justice Enebeli and his cohorts must be brought to the House for questioning on the billions of Rivers people’s money they squandered in the guise of local government elections.
When the Speaker put the question, the House voted in the affirmative, issuing a warrant of arrest on the recalcitrant Chairman and his Commissioners.

Earlier, the House had given the First Reading to three bills: the Rivers State House of Assembly (Powers and Privileges) Bill, 2025, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Bill, 2025, and the Rivers State Local Government Bill, 2025.

Rivers Assembly Issues Warrant Of Arrest On RSIEC Chairman, Commissioner is first published on The Whistler Newspaper