Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has declared that Honorable Martin Amaewhule and his group members are no more members of the state House of Assembly.
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He has thus rejected the Appeal Court judgement that reinstated them and thus proceeded to the Supreme Court.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Israel Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, in Port Harcourt on Thursday, revealed this, saying Amaewhule and 26 others defected on December 11, 2023.
He said contrary to some reports, the ruling did not reinstate Martin Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers who defected from the PDP to APC.
According to the Attorney General Israel Dagogo Iboroma, these lawmakers automatically lost their seats due to their defection, as stated in Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said "disregard false reports" while assuring that legal steps are being taken to resolve the matter
The court case actually focused on the 2023 Appropriation Law and National Assembly’s intervention in Rivers State’s legislative functions. Iboroma criticized misleading reports and announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.
He said their seats became automatically vacant from the day they announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the whole world.
The Attorney-General insisted that the issue of defection of Amaewhule and 26 others was never before the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, and therefore, no court had legitimised their membership of the House of Assembly on the basis of the defection.
The statement reads: “Today, the 10th day of October 2024, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division dismissed Appeal No. CA/ABJ/133/CS/2024 filed by His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division in suit No. FHC/ABJ/133/CS/2023 delivered on the 22nd day of January, 2024.
“It is important to state the facts and history of the case and the appeal thereof.
“On the 30th day of October, 2023, after the failed attempt to impeach His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, the Rivers State House of Assembly became polarized into two factions. The faction led by Martin Amaewhule proceeded to the Federal High Court, Abuja Division and filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023, on the 29th day of November, 2023.
“Subsequently, on the 11th day of December, 2023, Martin Amaewhule and others defected from the Peoples Democratic Party that sponsored their election in the 2023 Legislative Assembly Election, to the All Progressives Congress.
“By operation of Law, particularly Section 109(i) (g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Martin Amaewhule and 26 others automatically lost their seats as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 11th day of December, 2023, as Section 109(1)(g) is self executory as no court order is required thereof.
“His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State on the 13th day of December, 2023, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, who was recognized as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly at the time. The Appropriation Bill was later passed into Law and became the Appropriation Law of 2024. An Appropriation Law is a state law within the purview of the High Court of Rivers State.
“Following the crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly and the intervention by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the parties withdraw their cases in Court, to allow peace reign, His Excellency the Governor of Rivers State obeyed the President’s directive and withdrew his cases and the processes he filed in Suit No FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023. Martin Amaewhule and others disobeyed the President and did not withdraw Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023 and proceeded to obtain judgment against His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State.
“After the judgment of the Court of Appeal today, there is a gale of misrepresentation and misinterpretation that Martin Amaewhule & 26 others remain members of the Rivers State House of Assembly with Martin Amaewhule as the speaker thereof. This is patently false.
“The defection of Martin Amaewhule and 26 others was not an issue for determination in the Federal High Court, Abuja and the Court of Appeal. What was in issue was the 2023 Appropriation Law and the National Assembly taking over the Legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Dissatisfied with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, His Excellency, the Governor has directed his lawyers to file an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court and also file an application for stay of execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal. That maintains the status quo.
“Accordingly, His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State urges the good people of Rivers State to ignore the purveyors of fake news bent on misleading the good people of Rivers State”.
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| Amaewhule and co-travellers no more members of Rivers House of Assembly – Rivers Government |
ALSO READ:
He has thus rejected the Appeal Court judgement that reinstated them and thus proceeded to the Supreme Court.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Israel Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, in Port Harcourt on Thursday, revealed this, saying Amaewhule and 26 others defected on December 11, 2023.
He said contrary to some reports, the ruling did not reinstate Martin Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers who defected from the PDP to APC.
According to the Attorney General Israel Dagogo Iboroma, these lawmakers automatically lost their seats due to their defection, as stated in Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution.
He said "disregard false reports" while assuring that legal steps are being taken to resolve the matter
The court case actually focused on the 2023 Appropriation Law and National Assembly’s intervention in Rivers State’s legislative functions. Iboroma criticized misleading reports and announced plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.
He said their seats became automatically vacant from the day they announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the whole world.
The Attorney-General insisted that the issue of defection of Amaewhule and 26 others was never before the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, Abuja, and therefore, no court had legitimised their membership of the House of Assembly on the basis of the defection.
The statement reads: “Today, the 10th day of October 2024, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division dismissed Appeal No. CA/ABJ/133/CS/2024 filed by His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division in suit No. FHC/ABJ/133/CS/2023 delivered on the 22nd day of January, 2024.
“It is important to state the facts and history of the case and the appeal thereof.
“On the 30th day of October, 2023, after the failed attempt to impeach His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, the Rivers State House of Assembly became polarized into two factions. The faction led by Martin Amaewhule proceeded to the Federal High Court, Abuja Division and filed Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023, on the 29th day of November, 2023.
“Subsequently, on the 11th day of December, 2023, Martin Amaewhule and others defected from the Peoples Democratic Party that sponsored their election in the 2023 Legislative Assembly Election, to the All Progressives Congress.
“By operation of Law, particularly Section 109(i) (g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), Martin Amaewhule and 26 others automatically lost their seats as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the 11th day of December, 2023, as Section 109(1)(g) is self executory as no court order is required thereof.
“His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State on the 13th day of December, 2023, presented the 2024 Appropriation Bill to the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie, who was recognized as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly at the time. The Appropriation Bill was later passed into Law and became the Appropriation Law of 2024. An Appropriation Law is a state law within the purview of the High Court of Rivers State.
“Following the crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly and the intervention by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that the parties withdraw their cases in Court, to allow peace reign, His Excellency the Governor of Rivers State obeyed the President’s directive and withdrew his cases and the processes he filed in Suit No FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023. Martin Amaewhule and others disobeyed the President and did not withdraw Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1613/CS/2023 and proceeded to obtain judgment against His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State.
“After the judgment of the Court of Appeal today, there is a gale of misrepresentation and misinterpretation that Martin Amaewhule & 26 others remain members of the Rivers State House of Assembly with Martin Amaewhule as the speaker thereof. This is patently false.
“The defection of Martin Amaewhule and 26 others was not an issue for determination in the Federal High Court, Abuja and the Court of Appeal. What was in issue was the 2023 Appropriation Law and the National Assembly taking over the Legislative functions of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Dissatisfied with the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, His Excellency, the Governor has directed his lawyers to file an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court and also file an application for stay of execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal. That maintains the status quo.
“Accordingly, His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State urges the good people of Rivers State to ignore the purveyors of fake news bent on misleading the good people of Rivers State”.
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