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Tag: Lawmakers

  • Sacked 16 Plateau lawmakers move to resume legislative duties

    Sacked 16 Plateau lawmakers move to resume legislative duties

    The 16 members of the Plateau House of Assembly, sacked by the Court of Appeal last year November, have resolved to resume legislative duties on Tuesday.

    The group of ousted legislators, made their decision known when they briefed newsmen on Monday, in Jos.

    The members, who were elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had their election nullified by the court for a lack of party structure.

    The federal lawmakers elected on the platform of the PDP in the state, were also sacked by the Court of Appeal, citing the same reason; and re-run elections to fill their seats had been set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for Feb. 3.

    Gov. Caleb Mutfwang’s election was also quashed by the same court for the same reason.

    Mutfwang’s sack however, was reversed by the Supreme Court in a Jan. 12 judgment, which held that the lower court erred in its judgment.

    Deducing from the apex court’s judgment, the lawmakers claimed that they were only on recess and would resume duties on Tuesday.

    The spokesperson of the group, Mr Ishaku Maren, said that while they were on recess, two judgments were delivered regarding the status of the Plateau State House of Assembly.

    Maren, who was the majority leader of the assembly before the Appeal Court judgment, stated that they were a product of democracy and were validly elected by the majority of votes that were cast in their various constituencies.

    “It was even in the words of the Supreme Court that that Appeal Court judgment was a miscarriage of justice.

    “I want to also state that even in law, it says that if there is an injury, there will certainly be a remedy.

    “Our constituents are willing and ready to accompany us to the assembly tomorrow because they voted for us, and they are not ready to compromise that,” Maren stated.

     

  • Court stops INEC from conducting fresh election into 26 defected Rivers lawmakers’ seats

    Court stops INEC from conducting fresh election into 26 defected Rivers lawmakers’ seats

    A Federal High Court in Abuja, has restrained the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting fresh election to fill the seats of the 26 Rivers House of Assembly members who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Justice Donatus Okorowo, who gave the ruling in an ex-parte motion moved by counsel to the defected lawmakers, Peter Onuh, also restrained the INEC, PDP, and the House of Assembly from declaring their seats vacant and withdrawing their respective Certificate of Returns pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

    Justice Okorowo equally gave “an interim order of injunction restraining all the defendants from interfering with or impeding in any way or attempting to interfere with or impede in any way the performance of the applicants’ official and legislative functions as the speaker, the deputy speaker and members, respectively, of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

    “An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the defendants/respondents, jointly and or severally, by themselves or their agents, from interfering with or impeding in any way or attempting to interfere with or impede in any way the full enjoyment of the official rights and privileges of the plaintiffs/applicants as the speaker, the deputy speaker and members, respectively, of the Rivers State House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

    “An order of interim injunction is hereby granted restraining the 5th and 6th defendant (I-G and DSS), by themselves, officers, subordinates, servants or agents from denying or refusing to provide security for the plaintiffs or howsoever withdrawing their security details or personnel or failing to provide details or personnel or failing to provide adequate security for the plaintiffs/applicants for the purpose of enabling them to continue with the performance of their constitutional legislative and oversight functions pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

    The judge, who granted the reliefs on Dec. 15 (Friday) but a certified true copy (CTC) of the ruling sighted by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Sunday night, ordered the applicants to undertake damages in the sum of N250 million.

    Okorowo adjourned the matter until Dec  28 for hearing the motion on notice.

    The 26 lawmakers had, in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023/ dated Dec 13 and filed Dec 15, sued INEC, PDP, the assembly, clerk of the assembly, Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and Department of State Service (DSS) as 1st to 6th defendants respectively.

    The motion, which was deposed to by the factional Speaker of the assembly, Mr Martins Chike-Amaewhule, sought five reliefs.

  • Fubara signs Rivers N800bn 2024 budget into law approved by 4 lawmakers

    Fubara signs Rivers N800bn 2024 budget into law approved by 4 lawmakers

    Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers on Thursday signed the state N800 billion 2024 budget into law, barely 24 hours after it was presented to a four-man State House of Assembly for approval.

    Speaking at the ceremony at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Fubara said that the budget would provide the framework for his administration to undertake notable road projects that would connect communities across the state.

    “This budget shows that we have a plan for our dear state. One of the reasons why our budget is in the volume of N800 billion is that we intend not just by desiring, to ensure that one key request of our dear state is met.

    “God being our helper, we will commence immediately, by next year, flagging off the actual and main Trans-Kalabari road project phase 2.

    “We have also in our budget provided to take care of the Elele-Omoku Road project that cuts through Ikwerre, Emohua, and Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

    “We are also taking that project as one of our cardinal achievements of this administration, we are not going back on it,” he said.

    The governor assured that no effort would be spared in executing all the projects in the 2024 budget.

    He said that the budget would make positive impact on the lives of the people of the state.

    “I want to assure you that this administration has the best interest of our people. It is an administration that wants everyone to have hope.

    “We have keyed into the Renewed Hope Agenda of our dear President Bola Tinubu to continue to assure our people of hope, so the best of us will be seen by everyone.

    “We will continue to protect the interest of our people, do the best for everyone, not minding your position or class. Our government is a responsive and inclusive government. Our eyes and ears are open to the needs of our people. We will not disappoint you,” Fubara said.

    Chief Adolphus Orubienimigha, the leader of the four-man State House of Assembly, while presenting the budget for ascent, said that the lawmakers gave due diligence before passing the budget.

    Also the factional speaker of the House, Mr Edison Ehie, said that the budget was in line with developmental goals of the government.

    Recalled Fubara had on Wednesday presented the N800 billion 2024 budget of the to a four-man State House of Assembly at the Government House, Port Harcourt for approval.

    The lawmakers were believed to have passed the budget in less than 24 hours.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), had faulted Fubara’s budget presentation to the four-man state House of Assembly.

    Mr Tony Okocha, the state APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, said in a statement in Port Harcourt that the action was unconstitutional.

    Okocha said that Section 120(2) of the Constitution clearly stated that no money shall be spent except it was appropriated by the state House of Assembly.

    ‘’The presentation of a bill to 4 suspended members of the House of Assembly does not fulfill the requirements of the constitution for all the reasons stated,’’ he said.

  • Ehie declares 27 seats of Rivers Lawmakers vacant over decamping to APC

    Ehie declares 27 seats of Rivers Lawmakers vacant over decamping to APC

    Following the political crisis rocking the state, Edison Ehie, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has declared the seats of 27 lawmakers vacant over their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Ehie, who leads a five-member group loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, declared vacant all the seats of all the lawmakers in the Martins Amaewhule-led group.

    Ehie and Amaewhule have been embroiled in a Speakership tussle that is in court.

    Ehie and his allies took the decision at an undisclosed venue used for plenary on Wednesday following the demolition of the Assembly Complex by the state government.

    The governor also presented the N800bn 2024 budget estimates to the Ehie-led group at the Government House the same moment the demolition of the Assembly Complex was carried out.

    The Rivers State Executive Council had earlier approved the budget tagged the ‘Budget of Renewed Hope, Consolidation and Continuity’.

    The 27 members were said to be loyal to Amaewhule, who is an ally of Nyesom Wike, a former governor of the state till May 29, 2023.

    The defection of the lawmakers was said to be a direct response to a mass exodus of some grassroot politicians from the APC and Social Democratic Party (SDP) to the PDP last weekend.

    The crisis in the 32-member Assembly had begun as a result of a rift between Fubara and his predecessor, Wike.

    In October, the Assembly under Amaewhule served an impeachment notice on Fubara and removed Ehie as the House leader. However, some members of the Assembly loyal to Fubara immediately impeached Amaewhule and made Ehie the new Speaker.

     

     

  • Rivers Crisis: Group urges lawmakers to desist from playing dirty politics

    Rivers Crisis: Group urges lawmakers to desist from playing dirty politics

    A group known as South-South Youths Initiatives has advised the 27 Rivers lawmakers who defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) not to engage in dirty politics in the state.

    The group advised that the lawmakers should not allow politics define their responsibilities to the people of the state.

    Oscar Imaete, president of the group, gave the advice while reacting to 27 lawmakers’ defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmakers who defected to the APC are loyalists of Mr Nyesom Wike, the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while the remaining four lawmakers supported state Gov. Siminalaye Fubara.

    Imaete said that “though it is within the constitutional rights of the lawmakers to decide their alliance, the reason for defection may not be addressed even in their new party.’’

    He added that the crisis could consume the state if it’s not handled properly.

    ‘’The party crises in APC in the state could also affect the smooth operations of the lawmakers.

    He, however, expressed concern over the current status of the APC in the state.

    “Recall, the 27 members who crossed to the APC blamed their action on an unresolved internal party crises in the PDP.

    ‘’The state has suffered stagnation due to various incidents of political tussle and cannot afford to continue any longer.

    “Hence, the need for lawmakers to separate party politics from governance,” Imaete said.

    In a related development, the Ogoni Development Drive (ODD) and Coalition of Rivers Civil Society Group have sued for peace in the state.

    The group made the remark in a statement signed by Mr Henry Ekene, Rivers Representative, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, CDHR, and two others.

    They urged President Bola Tinubu to caution Wike to give peace a chance and allow Gov. Siminilaye to attend to his responsibilities as governor.

    ‘’We want peace in the state and not anarchy; Wike’s action may push us to move to Abuja and occupy his office in protest.

    ‘’This should sound as a warning to him and his lawmakers in the state,’’ they said.

    Reacting also, the state Assembly candidate of the APC in 2023 elections, Mr Omuboye Sukubo, said that defection was allowed in politics and the lawmakers had the right to defect.

    According to him, it’s not unusual; there is no longer politics by ideology, it’s more of stomach infrastructure and way of survival.

    ‘’How you get to power and be in control; it is not about governance,’’ he said.

  • Court orders Rivers Assembly lawmakers to suspend sittings

    Court orders Rivers Assembly lawmakers to suspend sittings

    A Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Tuesday ordered the two factions in the Rivers House of Assembly to suspend further sitting and maintain status quo, pending the dispensation of the matter.

    A factional speaker of the assembly, Edison Ehie in Suit No: FHC/PH/CS/240/2023, approached the court, presided over by Justice Phoebe Ayua.

    He prayed the court to stop Martins Amaewhule, the former Speaker of the House of Assembly and the other lawmakers from presiding over the activities of the legislative arm of the state.

    In the suit, the plaintiffs are the River State House of Assembly as first and Ehie (Speaker, River State House of Assembly) as second.

    The defendants are the factional speaker of the assembly, Martins Amaewhule, Dumle Moal, former deputy speaker, the Inspector-General of Police, Director, Department of State Security Services, Rivers State, and Commissioner of Police.

    In her ruling, Justice Ayua ordered all the parties to respect the court order, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

    The order directed the plaintiff/applicants to put the respondents on notice forthwith.

    “That an order is however, made, directing that all parties on record to respect the court and should not take any step concerning the subject matter, since the matter is already before this court – sub judice – pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.”

    In the suit, the plaintiffs sought, among others, a declaration that the former speaker and his deputy, having been removed and suspended from the house, are not entitled to participate, disturb, interfere or obstruct the performance of the legislative proceedings and duties of the new speaker.

    This, they said, was in accordance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.

    The plaintiff also sought for an order restraining the former speaker and the deputy from interfering or participating in the functions of the House of Assembly.

    The court was adjourned till Nov. 27 for hearing.

    The assembly broke into two factions when Amaewhule and some members attempted to impeach Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of the state.

  • Impeachment: I want my offences made public – Fubara challenges Rivers lawmakers

    Impeachment: I want my offences made public – Fubara challenges Rivers lawmakers

    Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, on Monday, challenged the state House of Assembly to make public the offences that warrant impeachment proceedings against him.

    Fubara issued the challenge in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by his Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media, Mr Boniface Onyedi, and made available to newsmen on Monday.

    The statement was his first official reaction to the announcement of the commencement of impeachment proceedings against him by the House.

    The Deputy Speaker, Mr Maol Dumle, had during the house plenary session on Monday moved a motion to commence impeachment proceedings against the governor.

    Maol hinged his motion on the governor’s alleged ‘’misconduct, unbecoming of a governor”.

    Meanwhile, Fubara has condemned the bombing of a section of the House of Assembly complex by suspected hoodlums, who allegedly attacked the building with Improvised Explosive Device.

    In a statement, he described as unfortunate the attempt by “some disgruntled persons to forcefully take over control of the assembly”.

    “The truth is that everybody who knows me know that I am a peaceful person.

    ‘’I can never ever, even if I am aware that there is a plot to impeach me for whatever reason, be part of such destruction.

    “I am worried that a facility like this that we used taxpayers money to build will be destroyed for selfish reason just to please somebody,” he said.

    Fubara described as null and void any illegal legislative actions that had been taken by some members, who held a purported plenary session.

    According to him, whoever masterminded the attack at the assembly was trying to divert attention.

    The governor said that he would resist any attempt without justification to impeach him.

    “Let them tell Rivers people my offence.

    “Come out and tell the people of Rivers that offence that Fubara committed that warrants impeachment.

    “My happiness this morning is that the people of Rivers, represented by everyone of you here, are with us.

    “Let me assure you people that we will continue to defend you.

    “We will protect you and you will enjoy the dividend of democracy,” he stated.

    Fubara alleged that some security operatives had been compromised.

    He alleged that his vehicle was directly shot on his way to the assembly complex to access the extent of damage caused by the early morning bombing.

    He commended the youths for standing up to protect the interest of the state.

    Recall that the house also moved four additional motions to remove the Majority Leader of the House, Edison Ehie, for alleged inability to effectively discharge his responsibilities.

    The other three motions were for the suspension of Mr Victor Okoh (Bonny constituency), Mr Goodboy Sokari (Ahoada West constituency) and Mr Adulphus Timothy (Opobo/Nkoro constituency).

    No fewer than 24 of the 32 lawmakers voted in favour of the motions.

  • Just In: Hoodlums set ablaze Anambra Federal lawmaker’s residence

    Just In: Hoodlums set ablaze Anambra Federal lawmaker’s residence

    Hoodlums have set ablaze the House of the former deputy speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly and the current member representing the Ihiala federal constituency in the House of Representatives.

    The House consisting of a fully furnished duplex, with a bungalow in the same compound, was completely razed down, while properties in the houses were not also spared.

    The lawmaker said the incident happened at about 1 am on Tuesday in Mbosi, his home town.

    He stated that no life was lost in the attack.

    He also did not state if he suspected anyone or whether it was politically motivated.

    The incident occurred when the lawmaker was in Abuja carrying out his legislative function.

  • Your actions point to insensitivity to plight of Nigerians, Obasanjo blasts lawmakers

    Your actions point to insensitivity to plight of Nigerians, Obasanjo blasts lawmakers

    Former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo has knocked Nigerian lawmakers for being insensitive to the plights of the masses, TheNewsGuru.com reports.

    Obasanjo made this remark on Monday during a speech at the 60th anniversary celebration of legal hero Aare Afe Babalola’s call to the Bar in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital.

    According to the ex-president, the salary allocation for elected officials is the job of the Revenue Mobilisation distribution and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), which the lawmakers, he claimed, have abandoned in order to fix their own salaries.

    “By the Nigerian constitution, the revenue mobilisation and fiscal commission is supposed to fix the salaries and emoluments of members of the National Assembly. But they set the constitution aside and decided to fix their salaries. Even if it’s constitutional, it is not moral. But it is neither constitutional nor moral.”

    “The point in Nigeria which I have seen and which I can attest to is most of the people who are supposed to be operationalising or managing and seeing the constitution and democracy move forward, they are actually the ones who undermine the constitution.

    “All elected people, by our constitution, their emolument is supposed to be fixed by the revenue mobilisation commission, but our lawmakers set that aside and they make laws and put any emolument for themselves.

    “Even if that is constitutional, it is not moral and, of course, it is neither constitutional nor moral.”

    He also stated that many other provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, such as the Federal Character, were “completely ignored,” and that the Federal Character Commission scarcely functioned.

    When the constitution is “constantly violated like that,” the former President added that the country’s democracy becomes one in which anything goes.

  • Lawmakers to meet Tinubu at the presidential villa over NASS leadership

    Lawmakers to meet Tinubu at the presidential villa over NASS leadership

    Another round of meeting has been scheduled between president Bola Tinubu and lawmakers-elect over principal office positions at the 10th NASS.

    Recall that the ruling party has been battling to settle dispute among returning and freshly elected lawmakers over zoning arrangements for principal positions at the 10th NASS.

    The meeting which is tagged very crucial will hold today by 7pm at the presidential villa in Abuja.

    Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives, including those from opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and Labour Party are expected to attend the highly important meeting.

    According to the organisers, the meeting is scheduled to kick-off at 7pm. at the State House, Abuja.

    It was gathered that the invitation to the meeting was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijanni Umar, on behalf of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

    Gbajabiamila, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, was recently appointed as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff.

    The current ninth session of the National Assembly will end on June 11, while the 10th session will be inaugurated on June 13.

    In between these periods, a new leadership is expected to emerge through an election by the lawmakers.

    It is, therefore, not clear if the outgoing senators and members of the House will participate in the meeting, as the invitation does not indicate such.

    However, it is speculated that it is one of the ways the president is using to persuade the opposition lawmakers to support his nominees for the leadership of the two chambers.

    Pundits following political developments in Nigeria believe that Tinubu is reportedly backing former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio and the current senator for Kano North, Barau Jibrin, for the positions of senate president and deputy senate president, respectively.