Rivers Political Crisis: Facts Are Sacred, You Can’t Be Change with Propaganda, HURIWA Tells Pro-Wike Group
Pro-democracy advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has said that irrefutable facts about the political discords in the Crude oil rich Rivers state are sacred so much so that they can’t be changed, twisted or misinterpreted through a flurry of what certainly represents a well-funded but poorly coordinated media-spins and empty propaganda targeted against the democratically elected government in Rivers state.
HURIWA’S National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday made the observation following relentless attempts by the defected former Rivers State House of Assembly lawmakers led by former speaker, Martin Amaewhule, misinterpreting court judgements in their desperate bid to illegally return to the assembly.
According to HURIWA, “No court has declared pro- wike sacked lawmakers legitimate lawmakers, endless denial ,misinterpreting Supreme court ruling will continue to be waste of funds provided by suspected political sponsor who may have unlimited public funds at his disposal.
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“Let’s remind Nigerians that in 2023, these 27 Lawmakers publicly decamped to APC and have at various times deposed to Affidavits even in a suit at the Federal High Court in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1681/CS/2023 that they’re now members of the APC owing to the alleged crisis in PDP.
“In line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution, as amended, they lost their positions in the lawmaking body, and subsequently an order from Rivers State High Court, in May 2024 barred them from parading themselves as members of the state legislature after they defected from the PDP to the APC.
“Their seats remain vacant because in line with the law they defected to APC and are no longer members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and there are many valid rulings of High Court that have restrained them from illegally parading as lawmakers.
“These desperate actions of the errand boys of the FCT minister to whom they have profusely professed their loyalty, have exposed a pattern of political maneuvering aimed at undermining the Rivers State government and destabilizing the administration of Governor Fubara. The Supreme court ruling was on decision of Gov. Fubara camp to withdraw an appeal over the already spent 2024 budget case which was filed by sacked lawmakers before their decampment and the case doesn’t concern their sack after decampment and no court has ruled on that and the attempt to keep wasting alleged public fund for paid media conferences to seek enforcement of case that didn’t confer on them any legal right after their decampment, will continue to be a waste of time.
“They decamped on their own on the floor of the House of Assembly, they swore affidavit in court to back their decampment, they were received by APC in a rally for decampment and handed over the APC flag and APC threw dinner party for them to celebrate their decampment and suddenly when they couldn’t get their political machinations of destabilizing the administration of Governor Fubara, and realising that they messed up and have lost their seats , they want to deny their day light documented decampment. This will not work and no amount of press conferences can change the fact that Sacked pro-wike lawmakers remain sacked until Supreme court says otherwise .
“We advise them to stop wasting sponsor’s money on endless paid press conferences to deny undeniable decampment of sacked 27 lawmakers and they are urged in their own interest to desists foryheith from embarking on the wild goose chase of misinterpretation of Supreme court’s ruling which never ruled on sacked lawmakers legitimacy after illegal decampment.”