Supporters of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and loyalists to his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike, clashed on Thursday following an Appeal Court ruling. The court nullified the order sacking the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly, sparking celebrations and disputes across the state.
Tony Okocha, Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and lawmakers loyal to Wike celebrated the ruling with dances and cheers. However, Fubara’s supporters dismissed these celebrations as premature.
Justice Charles Wall of the Rivers State High Court had previously issued an interim injunction. This injunction restrained the pro-Wike lawmakers from acting as members of the State Assembly after they decamped from the political party that sponsored their elections. Victor Oko-Jumbo, who filed the suit, later became Speaker.
At the APC state secretariat, Okocha danced to Christian songs with his followers, calling the Appeal Court ruling a positive development. He stressed that Justice Wall’s order and other injunctions lacked jurisdiction, noting that only the High Court could decide on the pro-Wike lawmakers.
Okocha advised Fubara and his allies to approach the Supreme Court, though he doubted they would succeed. “With the Appeal Court ruling, Amaewhule remains the Speaker and can resume sitting. All actions by the Oko-Jumbo-led Assembly are null and void,” he stated.
Meanwhile, embattled lawmakers like Sam Oge from Emuohua Constituency celebrated in a viral video, drinking and making boastful remarks.
Reacting to the ruling, Fubara’s supporters criticized the pro-Wike camp for celebrating what they called mediocrity. Both factions took to social media to counter each other’s claims.
John Martins and Tina Briggs, prominent figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), argued that Oko-Jumbo remains the legitimate Speaker. Conversely, Eze Chukwuemeka, an APC chieftain, explained that the ruling did not allow pro-Wike lawmakers to return to the Assembly.
“The Court of Appeal only ruled that the Rivers State High Court lacked jurisdiction to issue the ex parte order stopping Amaewhule from parading as Speaker. This issue can only be addressed by the Federal High Court,” Chukwuemeka said.
He added, “The Federal High Court did not address the major issue of Amaewhule and his group defecting from PDP to APC. The Appeal Court ruling allows this matter to be revisited, but it does not reinstate the ex-lawmakers.”
Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, spokesperson for the G60 Federal Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, maintained that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers remain sacked. He argued that the Appeal Court did not rule on the legality of their decampment or the declaration of their seats vacant. Instead, it focused on jurisdiction, stating that only the Federal High Court could decide on these matters.
“The votes and proceedings that declared the seats vacant are still valid and subject to litigation. The vacant seats remain vacant, and the actions declaring them vacant have not been nullified by any court,” Ugochinyere stated.
He concluded, “The local government chairmen whose tenure has expired cannot have their terms extended.”
The political landscape in Rivers State remains tense as supporters of Fubara and Wike continue to dispute the implications of the Appeal Court’s ruling. The next steps will likely involve further legal challenges and continued political maneuvering.
