Rivers Crisis: Tinubu’s Directives Cannot Override Court Orders – Elders

Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum (RELF), has said the resolutions reached and subsequent directives issued after Monday’s peace parley on the political crisis in Rivers State at the instance of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, cannot override existing orders of the court on the issue.

RELF disclosed this in a communique issued in Port Harcourt last night, after its emergency meeting in response to Tinubu’s intervention and directives on the current political crisis in Rivers State.

The communique, which was read by former governor of Old Rivers State, Chief Rufus Ada-George, stated that the resolutions and directives also contravened the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which the President swore to uphold.

The communique reads in part: “Rising from an emergency meeting of Rivers Elders and Leaders Forum held 19th December, 2023 in response to the intervention and directives of the President, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the current political crisis in Rivers State.

“We recall that in our communiqué of 17th and 18th December, 2023, we urged Mr. President to intervene in the political crisis in Rivers State, for which we commend his prompt intervention between Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory and Sir Siminialayi Fubara, the executive governor of Rivers State but we are at a loss as to whether his intervention has solved the problem or escalated it.

“A review of Mr. President’s directives for the resolution of the political impasse in Rivers State showed that: That the directives contravene the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which Mr. President swore to uphold at all times.

“The directives unilaterally suspended the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by virtue of an attempt to reverse a court order recognizing Edison Ehie as the speaker and directing that the remainder of members of the House of Assembly constituted the quorum for legislative business.

“The directives to the parties were one sided in favour of Wike and at the detriment of the governor, and the good people of Rivers State.

“In the eyes of the law and due process, as evidenced by the Rivers State High Court decision, that the Rt. Hon. Martins Amaewhule and his team has ceased to exist in the state House of Assembly having defected to another political party, and therefore cannot be reinstated and remunerated through the back door.

“It is the duty of the Executive arm of government to provide accommodation for legislators in a constitutional democracy as exemplified by the FCT Minister with respect to the National Assembly.

“It is therefore, hypocritical to suggest, that the Rivers State House of Assembly under Martins Amaewhule could sit anywhere of their choice, whereas in Abuja, it is the FCT minister, on behalf of the executive arm that provides accommodation for federal legislators,” he said.