2 hours ago
3
Elder statesman and prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has affirmed the existence of evidence confirming that Martins Amaewhule, the disputed Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, along with 27 other lawmakers, have admitted to defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a comprehensive critique of the political turbulence in the state on Monday, he laid blame on former Governor Nyesom Wike, who is now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and the defected lawmakers, asserting that the defected assembly members elected under the PDP attempted to justify their defection through a series of court actions, filing multiple conflicting affidavits.
Clark accused them of lying under oath in different courts, an act he labelled as perjury.
He highlighted their failure to disclose their departure in their initial case before Justice James Omotosho’s court and criticised their subsequent attempts to secure favourable rulings in Justice Donatus Okorowo’s court.
Clark stated that the defected lawmakers admitted in one affidavit to having left the PDP due to disagreements but failed to acknowledge their public defection during earlier legal proceedings.
This omission, he argued, invalidated their claims and revealed their intention to manipulate the judiciary.
The former federal commissioner for information raced the roots of the crisis to March 2023, immediately following the gubernatorial election that brought Siminalayi Fubara to power under the PDP.
The crisis began on March 26, 2023, shortly after Fubara, Wike’s handpicked successor, was declared winner of the gubernatorial election.
Initially, the relationship between Wike and Fubara appeared cordial. However, by October 2023, tensions reportedly flared as Wike’s influence over Fubara’s administration became increasingly overbearing.
Clark alleged that Wike treated Fubara as a “boy” and “slave,” leading to a complete breakdown in their relationship.
The tensions reached a boiling point on October 23, 2023, when Wike allegedly instructed Amaewhule, then Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara.
Although 27 of the 31 lawmakers supported the motion, their attempt ultimately failed.
On October 29, 2023, the Rivers State Assembly building was set ablaze by unidentified gunmen, further heightening political tensions. Clark pointed to this act as evidence of the escalating crisis engineered by those seeking to destabilise the state.
Subsequently, on December 11, 2023, Amaewhule and 27 other PDP lawmakers publicly defected to the APC, abandoning their PDP seats and celebrating their new allegiance with APC flags and songs.
Clark emphasised that their defection automatically disqualified them from their legislative seats under Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that lawmakers who defect to another party without a national split in their original party must vacate their seats.
The prominent South-South leader Clark expressed concerns over what he termed “judicial abuse” in the handling of the cases.
He called for an investigation into the actions of Justice Donatus Okorowo, who issued rulings perceived as favourable to the defectors, and the role of other judges who allegedly mishandled the matter.
He noted that the Supreme Court had, in a similar 2022 case involving the Labour Party in Ondo State, ruled that defection automatically leads to the loss of legislative seats unless there is a national split in the affected party.
According to Clark, this precedent nullifies the claims of Amaewhule and his colleagues.
The elder statesman accused Wike of orchestrating the crisis to undermine Governor Fubara’s administration.
He described Wike’s actions as a gross violation of constitutional provisions and party loyalty.
Clark lamented President Bola Tinubu’s failure to rein in Wike, despite appeals from concerned stakeholders.
He warned that Wike’s continued interference in Rivers State politics posed a threat to governance in the state and the broader Niger Delta region.
He pointed out that attempts by President Tinubu to mediate and resolve the crisis through out-of-court settlements have so far failed. According to Clark, these efforts were stymied by the complex constitutional and political issues at play.
The elder statesman urged the judiciary to uphold the rule of law and hold the defective lawmakers accountable for their actions.
He stressed that their status as legislators ended the moment they defected to the APC, rendering their subsequent legal actions and claims invalid.
Clark expressed concern over the deteriorating political climate in Rivers State, which he described as “devastating.”
He called for a return to constitutional governance and a resolution to the crisis to prevent further destabilisation of the state.
READ MORE FROM: NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
