A group, Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy (VATLAD), has disagreed with Femi Falana (SAN) for condemning the intervention by President Bola Tinubu toward resolving the misunderstanding between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
National president of VATLAD, Engr Igbini Emmanuel, in a statement said that Falana had admitted in the past that legal and judicial approaches to resolving strictly political disputes have failed and will continue to fail because of the many lacunas inherent in the Nigerian constitution and judicial system.
According to him, from the various interviews granted by Falana to media organisation, it was clear that he is biased against former Governor Wike and the 27 legislators and in support of Governor Fubara and the four legislators on his side.
He said there had not been any constitutionally convened sitting of the Rivers State House of Assembly (RSHA) since October 29, 2023 after the attack on the chamber of the assembly till date.
He said the implication of this is that all actions and pronouncements, defections, budget presentation and others, by the 31 legislators, either together or as 27 or four, are unknown to the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, and are, therefore, null and void and of no effect at all.
“As a very senior practising lawyer, is Mr Falana, SAN, not aware that courts of law often advise parties appearing before them to explore out-of-court settlements, where possible, in resolving their disputes?
“Has he forgotten the onshore-offshore dichotomy dispute between states and Federal Government of Nigeria which was finally resolved through political means despite the clear and unambiguous pronouncement on the Supreme Court on the matter?
“What about the doctrine of necessity (political solution) adopted in year 2010 to peacefully resolve what was to become a serious constitutional crisis that would have undermined the nascent democracy in Nigeria if Nigerians insisted only on legal and judicial process?” Emmanuel asked.
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