By John Ogunsemore
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reiterated its warning to the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly not to plunge the state into crisis with its seven-day ultimatum for Governor Siminalayi Fubara to re-present the 2024 budget which has already been passed and signed into law.
National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba issued the fresh warning in a statement issued on Wednesday.
The party also called on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to take note of the “subversive action” of the Amaewhule-led group and act to protect democracy, peace and security of the state.
This comes barely two days after Justice Stephens Jumbo of the Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt issued an ex parte order of interim injunction restraining the Chief Judge of the state and the Clerk of the Rivers State House of Assembly from dealing with the Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly.
The PDP said the former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who lost their seats upon defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) must “desist from actions and utterances that are capable of disrupting peace and governance in the state”.
“The party counsels the former lawmakers to wake up to the reality that they are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly by virtue of the self-executory provision of Section 109 (1) (g) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and as such cannot gather or issue any notice to the State Governor in the capacity of members of Rivers State House of Assembly.
The PDP said that by asking the governor to represent the already-passed budget, the individuals were seeking to assume the powers of the Rivers House of Assembly “apparently with the intension to cause crisis, undermine and disrupt the Democratic and Constitutional Order in the State in clear violation of Section 1 sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”.
“Having irretrievably lost their seats upon their defection from the PDP, the political Party platform upon which they were elected into the Rivers State House of Assembly, they cannot enjoy the powers, rights, privileges, recognition and obligations of members of the Rivers State House of Assembly,” the party noted.
“The PDP charges the Inspector General of the Police to note the subversive action of these former lawmakers and take immediate action to protect the Institution of Democracy, peace and security in Rivers State,” the statement further reads.
The party called on the people of Rivers State to remain vigilant, law-abiding and continue to work together for the continued stability, peace and delivery of democracy dividends in Rivers State on the platform of the PDP.
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