Rivers: Wike loyalists celebrate, Fubara's supporters dismiss ruling

Supporters of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and loyalists to his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, on Thursday, engaged in a display of mockery and celebration following the Appeal Court ruling that nullified the order sacking the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly.

Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tony Okocha, and the embattled lawmakers loyal to Wike engaged in various forms of celebration across the state. However, Fubara’s supporters described the celebration as ‘premature’.

The Guardian reports that Justice Charles Wall of the Rivers State High Court had on May 10 issued an interim injunction that restrained the pro-Wike lawmakers from parading themselves as members of the State Assembly having decamped from a political party that sponsored their elections. The suit was filed by Victor Oko-Jumbo, who later emerged as Speaker.

At the APC’s state secretariat complex on Wednesday, Okocha danced to various Christian lyrics with his followers, describing the Appeal Court ruling as a welcome development and a big lesson to many.

According to him, the Appellate Court noted that the order made by Justice Wall of the Rivers State High Court and other court injunctions have no jurisdiction, stressing that the decision to sack the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers is only reserved for the High Court.

Okocha argued that the least Fubara and his men would do at this point was to approach the Supreme Court but doubted if the apex court would do otherwise.

He said, “With the Appeal Court ruling, it means Amaewhule remains the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and can resume sitting and that all actions taken by the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly are hereby null and void.”

Also, some embattled lawmakers like Sam Oge and others representing Emuohua Constituency were seen drinking, dancing, and making some boastful remarks in a viral video.

Reacting to the ruling, Fubara’s supporters berated pro-Wike supporters for allegedly celebrating mediocrity as both camps took to their various social media platforms to counter one another.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts, John Martins and Tina Briggs, among others, argued that Oko-Jumbo remains the authentic Speaker, while a chieftain of the APC, Eze Chukwuemeka explained that the ruling did not give the Pro-Wike lawmakers the leeway to return to the Assembly.

“To the best of my knowledge, the Court of Appeal only ruled that the Rivers State High Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain and issue the ex parte order stopping Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly as such issue can only be entertained by the Federal High Court and not the State High Court.”

“The Federal High Court didn’t entertain the major subject matter of Amaewhule and his group defecting from PDP to APC, which caused them to cease as lawmakers.”

“The fact is that Appeal Court ruling only succeeded in giving room for the defection of these ex-lawmakers to be revisited and proper ruling given either by the Appeal Court or the Supreme Court.”

“This notwithstanding, the fact remains that these ex-lawmakers and their group are celebrating ignorance because nothing will ever bring them back to their seats no matter the odds,” Eze said.

Spokesperson of G60 Federal Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, in a statement on Thursday, maintained that the pro-Wike 27 lawmakers remain sacked.

He also contended that the Appeal Court did not decide on the validity of their illegal decampment nor the declaration of their seats vacant but focused on declaring that the Federal High Court is the only court with jurisdiction to decide on the legality or illegality of decampment thereby ruling against Rivers High Court proceedings.

“The former Speaker, Edison Ehi-led House votes and proceedings that declared the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant are still valid and it is subject to pending litigation. The vacant seats of the 27 lawmakers remain vacant and the actions of the House led by Ehi in declaring the seats vacant have not been declared null and void by any court.”

“The local government Chairmen whose tenure has since expired remain expired and can’t be extended,” Ugochinyere concluded.