Dr. Tom Fredfish, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and an advocate for youth, has denounced the settlement struck in the dispute between Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara and his former boss and current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike. He characterises the ceasefire as a “desecration of the Nigerian constitution” and “an arrangement alien to democratic culture and norms.”
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While the conditions for peace that Governor Fubara and others signed are being shared on social media and in a TVC news article, FredFish pointed out that this was a blatant infringement on Governor Fubara’s constitutional rights.
In one of the resolutions, the PDP leader voiced specific concerns, recommending that the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly, headed by Hon. Martins Amaewhule, be acknowledged and that Amaewhule, together with his 26 APC defectors and fellow travellers, return to their position as Speaker of the House.
Considering its order in suit marked PHC/3030/CS/2023, wherein the court restrained Hon. Martin Amaewhule and Rt. Hon., the youth activist who initiated a N100 million lawsuit against TELL magazine for disparaging the office of the governor of Akwa Ibom in 2010 and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) for unnecessarily hiking fuel prices in 2017, described the proposed return of the former Speaker as a “intimidating slap” to the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt.
from posing as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dumle Maol.
According to Fred Fish, party chieftains’ sitting-room arrangement to appease their political capital does not grant any individual or group of people the right to go outside the bounds of the constitution or to defy the courts in matters pertaining to the laws of the land and the rule of law. It cannot stand; it is unlawful, criminal, unconstitutional, and vile.
“They shouldn’t try to sneak back into the office; instead, they should return before the court and provide justification for the court to restore them to their positions as speaker and deputy speaker of the House.
“It is important to note that, in accordance with our laws, Hon. Amaewhule and 26 other individuals are no longer members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. As a result, the issue of restoring the leadership to Hon. Amaewhule is unwarranted and unnecessary.”
. Until the Court states differently, Fred Fish noted, Hon. (Barr) Edison Ehie is the Speaker of the Rivers Assembly as recognised by the Constitution.
He warned Ehie that any attempt to do otherwise would result in contempt of court and urged him to resist pressure to resign from the position due to mere political pronouncements.
