The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has raised alarm over an alleged plan by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to procure interim orders from some judges to declare the Martins Amaewhule-led State House of Assembly as illegitimate.
The Chairman of the APC’s Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, revealed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Okocha, while withholding the names of the judges allegedly targeted by Fubara, vowed to disclose them in a petition to the Nigeria Judicial Council, NJC.
Okocha asserted that Governor Fubara intends to utilize the orders to appoint Caretaker Committees in the 23 local government areas, contravening President Bola Tinubu’s directive outlined in the peace pact signed by the governor, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, and others in December 2023.
The APC vehemently stated its opposition to Fubara’s proposed actions, emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding the state and the interests of the party.
He said, “I want to use this opportunity to inform Rivers people and Nigerians of the move by the Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, to procure interim orders from Judges that I may not name here, but I will put in my petition today to the National Judicial Council.
“He wants to procure an interim order stopping the implementation of the laws which he was vetoed over.
“He wants to procure an order to announce as illegal the Rivers State House of Assembly as constituted and as led by Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule.
“The Governor is in the business as we speak and I speak with all authority because the walls have ears.
“These are the plans that are on and he is doing that so that he will now leverage on that order to go ahead to appoint caretaker committees in local government against the warning of the man he says he respects, the President.
“But let me put it clearly here that we will stoutly, vehemently oppose such negative subterranean moves by a man who ought to protect the dignity and integrity of a state called Rivers.
“Rivers State cannot be turned into a pariah because of the cluelessness of one person.
“Rivers State is a state to be reckoned with in the comity of nations, highly respected and regarded.
“But see how dangerously we have fallen because we have a Governor who does not understand his left from his right.
“So we put out this clearly to Nigerians and to Rivers people that we will stoutly disobey that.” He added.
In his reaction to the allegation by the APC, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Joe Johnson, clarified that the claims by Okocha are false.
According to Johnson, “There is nothing like that we are not given to backyard business.
“My governor does not do anything that is illegal and he is not interested in any illegality.
“Whatever will come from the courts will not come from the back door.
“We are not like them and the governor has said that he will surprise them so he will surprise them.”
