The Rivers State Government and politicians who support the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, argued on Sunday about an official decision to move the meeting place of the state House of Assembly to the Auditorium of the Administrative Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The decision, which was made by the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara on Friday, is written in the state’s official Gazette, labeled Executive Order of the Rivers State Government 001-2023.
While the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, insisted that Fubara had the authority to relocate the state assembly, the lawmakers who support Wike called the relocation illegal.
As the governor and those loyal to Wike disagreed on the Assembly relocation, the lawmakers supporting Fubara on Sunday requested the screening and confirmation of Danagogo Iboroma, SAN, on Monday as a member of the state executive.
After visiting the state legislative quarters on Thursday, where the lawmakers moved to after the Assembly complex was destroyed last year, the governor released the executive order on the relocation on Friday.
Last year, during the conflict between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, there was an explosion at the state House of Assembly.
Despite the explosion, the lawmakers who support Wike found their way into the complex and tried to impeach the governor.
On December 13, 2023, the House of Assembly complex was demolished under the supervision of Fubara after the state government said the building was faulty.
Fubara said on Thursday that the legislative quarters would be renovated, a plan that lawmakers loyal to Wike claimed was an attempt to demolish the quarters.
Speaking to elders and political leaders loyal to the FCT minister, during a protest to the Legislative Quarters, in Port Harcourt on Sunday, the Speaker of the pro-Wike faction of the state Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, criticized the executive order.
Amaewhule insisted that the governor did not have the right to make an executive order directing lawmakers where to hold their sitting.
Referring to the judgment of Justice Omotosho, Amaewhule described the governor’s actions as a clear violation of the orders of the Federal High Court, none of which, he said, had been canceled.
He said, “The governor doesn't have the power to issue an executive order directing lawmakers where to sit. There is a standing judgment preventing the governor from interfering with the sitting of the House of Assembly.
“Only the Federal High Court has the authority to handle matters concerning the declaration of any seat vacant. We moved here. We furnished it. This building is less than two years old and built by the top engineers.
“It is a new building. This is where we are sitting. There is no problem at all. We have not invited him. We need to invite him before he can do anything.”
Amaewhule said there was a big plan by the governor to bring down the structures the same way he ordered the demolition of the House of Assembly Complex.
He said the structures, as could be seen by the leaders, were in excellent condition, fully functional and currently occupied by the lawmakers and their family members.
In response to the allegations and the protest at the legislative quarters, Johnson ignored Amaewhule's statement, saying he used to be a lawmaker.
Johnson said, 'He has no authority. He is no longer a speaker and he cannot say anything meaningful. There is a court ruling already, even though it is temporary.'
The commissioner added that “Amaewhule has lost credibility, and if he truly is a lawmaker, the law says that if you don't respect the law, it can't protect you.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Section 109(1g) says that you lose your seat once you cross. They crossed before they got the judgment that they claimed they got from Omotosho.
“And from then till now, they do not exist. It does not require anybody to interpret that law. That law is clear. That law can only be overridden by the court, and the only court that can override it is the Supreme Court.’’
Some political leaders who demonstrated in support at the quarters on Sunday included the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency; Emmanuel Deeyah, a former member of the House of Representatives; Olaka Nwogu, another former member of the House, and the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Rivers State All Progressives Congress, Chief Tony Okocha,
Also at the protest venue were former Rivers State PDP Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, former Commissioner for Finance, Fred Kpakol, former Commissioner for Species Duties, Emeka Woke, local government chairmen, among others.
Speaking at the protest, Chinda said they were concerned about reports of a possible demolition of a democratic institution and decided to assess the condition of the premises.
Chinda explained that before the visit, they had already consulted experts to evaluate the strength of the structures at the complex and their assessment showed that they would last more than 25 years.
He said, “As members of the National Assembly from Rivers State, we have joined the leaders and elders of the state to discuss the issues happening in our state, the latest being the threat to bring down the structures on this premises.
“We have commissioned engineers and experts to study and provide us with the report on the integrity of these structures. We have received the report. The report indicates that these structures have a lifespan of at least 25 years.
Worgu, in his contribution, said it was not the building that made the parliament, but the people and the constitution.
He said if the governor continued to destroy important chambers, the members would continue to create more to defend democracy.
Worgu remembered the destruction of the state House of Assembly complex, saying it was the biggest attack on democracy.
“I have never seen a situation where those tasked with protecting public property will be those to destroy such property. When the Rivers State House of Assembly was brought down, it was like a movie to most Nigerians. That was the biggest attack on democracy.
“No matter why people try to explain things, I don’t think any Rivers son or daughter will agree that the assembly was brought down because some people think it will help them save themselves.
“Today, the Rivers State Assembly sits here and again they want to bring it down. Let me make it clear that it is not the building that makes the parliament. It is the members themselves and the constitution,” he said.
The former lawmaker added, “Even if you destroy this place, the members can choose to sit in any place that their resolution favors. Parliament is self-regulatory. Nobody regulates them.
“You can break a thousand chambers and they will create more. It is about us, the people, the institutions and their duty to provide checks and balances on our behalf within the principles of democracy.
“We are a nation of laws. You cannot be protected by law when you become the chief lawbreaker.
On his part, the APC Caretaker Chairman, Okocha, praised the leaders and elders across party lines for defending democracy, saying it was a demonstration of the unity in the state.
Okocha said the 27 lawmakers remained members of the party, adding that the party would continue to protect them.
He said at every twist and turn, the governor would always confess his support for President Tinubu, but he alleged that Fubara did not vote for the president in the last election.
Okocha stated, “This goes to show the world that Rivers people are united. We are one. The speaker had taken us around the premises and had given us the synopsis of what transpired when the governor came to harass the inhabitants here.
Reacting to the criticism by the elders, the information commissioner described the governor as a beneficiary of genuine democracy, adding that most of those who visited the legislative quarters were kinsmen of Wike who did not even represent the people of Obio/Akpor.
He said contrary to the claims by the so-called leaders, the people of Ikwerre ethnic nationality loved Governor Fubara.
“This is just to say that Governor Fubara is the governor of Rivers people, and nothing short of it can convince anybody to say that five greedy, selfish people, not Obio/Akpor people, not Ikwerre people.
“Ikwerre people love Governor Fubara. Obio/Akpor people love Governor Fubara. We are resolute as Rivers people. We will resist them. They have no fate politically and will not be able to win any election.
“No Opobo man (Fubara’s LGA) is afraid of any human being on the surface of the earth.’’
Pro-Fubara lawmakers
Meanwhile, the state House of Assembly loyal to Fubara led by factional Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, has invited a commissioner-nominee, Iboroma for screening.
Iboroma may replace Prof Zaccaeus Adangor, SAN, who recently resigned as the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
Adangor’s resignation came after he rejected his deployment to the Ministry of Special Duties (Governor’s Office).
The nominees’ invitation was contained in a letter signed by the factional Clerk, Dr G.M. Gillis-West, who asked Iboroma to appear before the House on Monday by 10am.
The factional clerk told Iboroma to come to the state House of Assembly at the auditorium of the administrative building of state Government House Port Harcourt.
The letter said, “The Rivers State House of Assembly is inviting Danagogo I. Iboroma, SAN, to be screened and confirmed as a member of the Rivers State Executive Council as a Commissioner-nominee.
“Date: Monday, 13th May 2024. Time: 10am. Location: Hallowed Chamber, Rivers State House of Assembly Auditorium, Admin Block, Government House, Port Harcourt.
“The nominee should bring 10 sets of his resume, copies of his credentials, and the original documents.
