A youth activist and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Tom FredFish has described the resolution reached in the feud between governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State and the former governor of the state, Nyesom Wike as a desecration of the Nigerian constitution.
In a statement made available on Wednesday night, FredFish said such an arrangement of truce was alien to democratic culture and norms of the land and should not stand.
The activist said that he had instructed his lawyers to be on standby and do the needful if the Rivers State government implements such a resolution.
FredFish maintained that though the document was a flagrant violation of Governor Fubara’s liberty as governor, he is particularly interested in the resolution which suggested that the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Hon. Martins Amaewhule is recognized and Amaewhule returned as the Speaker of the House alongside with his 26 APC defectors.
He described the proposed return of the former Speaker as an “intimidating slap” to the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, considering its order in suit marked PHC/3030/CS/2023, where the court restrained Hon. Martin Amaewhule and Rt. Hon. Dumle Maol from parading themselves as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the RSHA.
He said, “As far as the laws of the land and the rule of law are concerned, no individual or group of persons can act outside the confines of the constitution or disobey the courts because of a sitting room arrangement by party chieftains to satisfy their political capital. It is illegal, unconstitutional, criminal, foul, and cannot stand.
“If they want to be returned as speaker and deputy speaker of the House they ought to return to the Court and give reasons the court should return them to the House and not attempt to go back to the office through a back door.
“It is pertinent to point out that going by our laws, Hon. Amaewhule and 26 others are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, having defected to another political party hence the issue of returning the leadership under Hon. Amaewhule is unnecessary and uncalled for.”
He insisted that Hon. (Barr). Edison Ehie is the constitutionally recognized Speaker until the Court says otherwise and cautioned Hon. Ehie never to succumb to pressure to vacate the office “because of mere political pronouncement”.
He warned that any attempt to do otherwise, he would charge Ehie to court for contempt as the matter has gone beyond Hon. Ehie as a person.