The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reaffirmed Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the legitimate Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly. This came days after the rift between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, escalated.
In a unanimous decision, the three-member panel of justices validated Amaewhule-led members as authentic lawmakers for the state and dismissed Governor Fubara’s appeal.
Court of Appeal affirmed Wike’s loyalist as speaker of Rivers House of Assembly
Photo Credit: @GovWike, @SimFubaraKSCSource: Twitter
According to Vanguard, the appeal stemmed from a January 22 Federal High Court judgment that nullified the 2024 Rivers State budget because it was presented to only four out of 31 assembly members, violating section 91 of the 1999 Constitution. Fubara’s decision to withdraw a counter-affidavit challenging Amaewhule-led lawmakers’ legitimacy further weakened his case.
The Rivers State Assembly was divided due to the rift between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike. Fubara presented the N800 billion budget to four lawmakers led by Hon. Edison Ehie, who had emerged as a factional Speaker.
However, following President Bola Tinubu’s intervention, Fubara and Wike signed a peace pact restoring Amaewhule as Speaker.
The court ruled that Fubara’s actions, including demolishing the assembly complex and withholding funds, were unconstitutional and tyrannical. The National Assembly cannot take over state legislative affairs without meeting section 11 of the 1999 Constitution’s preconditions.
The Court of Appeal then ordered Governor Fubara to pay N500,000 to each respondent in the suit, adding that its decision reaffirms the importance of constitutional adherence and legislative autonomy.
Source: TheTalk.NG
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