The Peoples Democratic Party has criticized the Rivers State House of Assembly and the All Progressives Congress for allegedly trying to pressure Governor Siminalayi Fubara to act outside the law.
The PDP said the renewed threat by the lawmakers to impeach Fubara is embarrassing and a public nuisance to the state.
The state PDP Publicity Secretary, Sydney Gbara, stated this in a release issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Recall that the 27 lawmakers said to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had on Sunday stated they may revisit Fubara’s impeachment as a final resort to fulfill their responsibilities and uphold the constitution.
Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, who read a text of a communique to newsmen, accused Fubara of acting unlawfully despite signing the presidential peace agreement in the political crisis in the state, stating the state was running without an approved budget.
But Gbara urged the lawmakers, who he said switched from the PDP to the APC without consulting their constituents, to stop disturbing the peace of the state and allow Fubara to focus on governance and deliver his mandate to the people.
The state PDP spokesman reminded the Amaewhule-led lawmakers not to forget that the issue of their legitimacy is before the court.
Gbara said the lawmakers have continued to make backward laws and statements that are harmful to the growth and development of the state.
The statement read, “Those people were the first beneficiaries of the generosity and peaceful attitude of Governor Fubara by signing the biased peace accord despite a court of competent jurisdiction that recognized Rt.Hon Edison Ehie as the Speaker of the Ribers State House of Assembly, which gave them a live line to still operate, because having defected to APC without any crises in PDP, their seats were vacant constitutionally.
“But to show how ungrateful they are, the several court cases questioning their legality, seeking the interpretation of Section 109 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, will settle the dust around them in due course. No matter how long they try to run away from it, justice must be served because they no longer represent their constituencies.
“Their actions are a total embarrassment to Rivers people and a complete display of public shame.
“The people elected them out of their goodwill, but they let those constituents down by pursuing selfish agenda that has further plunged the state into crises.
“The threats of impeachment are empty and and cannot stand. It is selfish and their pursuit of personal aggrandizement which will be resisted by Rivers people.
“If they want to know what Rivers people think about them, they should go to the streets to seek the opinion of the masses.
“As far as we are concerned they (lawmakers) are operating illegally, hence your illegal laws are inconsequential on Rivers people.”
He also responded to allegations by the acting Chairman of the APC in the state, Chief Tony Okocha, that Fubara has not implemented the eight-point peace accord brokered by President Bola Tinubu, saying the matter is subject to litigation.
Gbara said, “Although we are not speaking on behalf of the state government, we would like to clarify that as a party, we want to remind Tony Okocha once again that Governor Siminialayi Fubara has faithfully implemented the peace accord to promote peace in the state, in a way that is allowed by the Nigerian Constitution.
“As a law-abiding citizen, the governor has faithfully implemented the peace accord, and any parts that do not align with the law will not be implemented.
“Your attempt to pressure Governor Fubara into taking unconstitutional actions will not succeed.”
