CSO Cautions Against Plot To Compromise Rivers Judiciary

A civil society group, Society for Open Justice in Nigeria has alleged a move by a faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly to upturn an interim injunction by a Rivers State High Court, restraining the pro-Wike Speaker, Martin Amaewhule and 24 other lawmakers from parading themselves as legislators.

In a statement signed by its president, Oloyede Kadiri, the group stated that the former members of the Assembly led by Martin Amaewhule had devised a means to upturn the Rivers State High Court’s ruling.

“The Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly are in desperate move to upturn the judgement. We have it on good authority of their efforts towards ensuring that they use the court through every means available to get reinstated,” Kadiri alleged.

He added that this indeed, portends grave danger for democracy in Rivers state and Nigeria.

“This group of former lawmakers, with the backing of some forces in Abuja, have been approaching the Appeal Court to upturn the ruling of the Rivers State High Court restraining the 25 defendants from “meeting/sitting at the auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or any other place whatsoever to purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“They have bragged about control of the judiciary by their patron in Abuja and that the ruling of the Rivers State High Court will be upturned.

“Any attempt at compromising the justices of the Appeal Court is a coup on democracy. Those whose actions and inaction have contributed to the political impasse in Rivers State are enemies of democracy. If this anomaly is allowed in Rivers State, it can happen in any state in the country. The implication would be the end of democracy or any semblance of democracy in Nigeria,” the statement noted.

The group also warned the 25 former lawmakers to desist from political blackmail and other acts that have disrupted governance in the state.

“The group of 25 former lawmakers must realise that their actions in the last year have been embarrassing and made River State a laughing stock. They have elected to dance to the dictates of their patron and pledged their loyalty to him rather than the people of Rivers State.

“Their actions also beg the question of what their primary motive is. To serve the people of Rivers state or to serve a master who has vowed not to continue to deprive the people of Rivers State the dividends of democracy.

“The Society for Open Justice in Nigeria is alarmed at such tendencies by a group elected by the people, but whose body and soul have been sold to the devil in exchange for a plate of porridge,” Kadiri added.

The group further called on the Justices of the Appeal Court to resist any overtures to compromise and give a ruling in favour of the 25 lawmakers.

“The Society for Open Justice is calling on the Honourable Justices of the Appeal Court to resist any form of overtures by some vested interest in the Rivers State debacle. We know the tremendous pressure from different quarters to obstruct justice.

“Their paymaster has boasted that he controls the judiciary, which remains an affront to our sensibilities as a people and a country. He has openly attacked the reputation of the judiciary in the country.

“We are confident that the Honourable Justices of the Appeal Court would resist any overtures and stand on the side of equity, justice and fairness. Nigeria is not a ‘Banana Republic’ where individuals ascribe to themselves the power to violate the rights and privileges of the people,” the group said.

It would be recalled that there has been a running battle to control the Rivers State House of Assembly, with 25 former lawmakers loyal to the former governor of the state decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC), a move that has opened a litany of litigation.

Justice Charles Wali of the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt had issued an interlocutory injunction barring Amaewhule and associated lawmakers from further sitting and parading themselves as members of the state House of Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.