Amaewhule-led faction lacks right to serve Fubara impeachment notice — Ikwere LGA chair, Orji

The Caretaker Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area in Rivers State, Darlington Orji said the Martin-Amaewhule led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly does not have the right to serve an impeachment notice to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, adding that they are not recognised as members of the State House of Assembly.

Orji stated this in an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday.

Recall that  the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly leadership gave an ultimatum to Fubara to re-present the 2024 appropriation bill before the House.

He said, “The Martin-led administration lacks the locus to serve impeachment notice on the governor. As at today, they are not members of Rivers State House of Assembly by their own, for me, by the troubles they caused themselves.

“So, they cannot serve impeachment notice on the governor, and the Rivers people are awaiting that to happen, and we are going to resist it. For us, what is important is that the governor is concentrating on building Rivers State and bringing up dividends of democracy.

“I have a right to go to court to say, please, the Chief Judge of Rivers State, don’t recognise these people. As long as we are concerned, they are not known to law until their status is pronounced by the Supreme Court, then we will know whether they are members of Rivers State House of Assembly.

“What is happening there is that a group of people can come together and issue out any statement. They are not members, and until their status is being cleared, the Appeal Court never said they are members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, the Appeal Court said that the lower court that gave that order lacks the jurisdiction to do that.

“But remember, the constitution is very clear who has the mandatory power to declare their seat vacant- it was the speaker. And at that time, the speaker was Right Honourable Edison Ehie, who declared their seats vacant and wrote to INEC. If not for the politics that we are playing, by now we should be talking about bye-election in Rivers state, and not to be talking about whether they are members or not.

“They caused this by themselves, it’s a political mistake, and of course, their leader has accepted that it’s a political mistake. Why not, if they think they are popular, if they feel that Rivers people love them, represent yourself to the people so that we will see and test that your popularity.”

Speaking on the decision of the Rivers Court of Appeal to reverse Amaewhule and 24 others’ expulsion from the Rivers House of Assembly, Orji said, “There are too many legs to the issue in Rivers state, there are too many legs. So it depends on your understanding about it.

“The judgement that was given yesterday, or the order that was given yesterday by the state High Court was reaffirming their position earlier, who says that the Chief Judge of Rivers state must not see these young men, these Committee of Friends men that are parading themselves as members of Rivers State House of Assembly until such matters are being determined.

“Now, in the issue of the Appeal Court that says that the lower court has no jurisdiction to hear that matter, that’s why I told you that there are several issues that are on board, they’re not the same matter.

“Now, what is happening in Rivers State is that a group of young men that we campaigned for- like I told you, I was the PRO of PDP at the time, during the campaign period of the election that brought in Martins Amaewhule, and I refer to them as my friends.

“And they were elected under PDP, and of course, I know that your station carried it about their defection and all of that. And these are men that say they are honourable members,” he said.