Rivers Crisis: Group Gives Fubara 7-Day Ultimatum to Evict Amaewhule, 26 Lawmakers from Assembly Quarters
PORT HARCOURT – A political pressure group, the Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership (ITSGL), has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, demanding the immediate eviction of 27 embattled lawmakers, led by Martin Amaewhule, from the official Assembly quarters.
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The President-General of ITSGL, Chizy Enyi, Esq., delivered the ultimatum during a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday, where he condemned the continued occupation of government properties by lawmakers who, he insists, have lost their legitimacy as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Enyi argued that the affected lawmakers forfeited their seats upon defecting from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023. Citing Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), he maintained that their defection automatically invalidated their membership in the Assembly, making their continued occupation of government quarters both illegal and unjustifiable.
“These individuals initiated legal action against the Rivers State Government, the National Assembly, and other parties between October and November 2023, before defecting to the APC in December,” Enyi stated. “Their legitimacy as members of the House is not even in question here. The case before Justice Omotosho did not address their legislative status, and if it did, why was the National Assembly a party to the suit?”
The group expressed dissatisfaction with Governor Fubara’s perceived inaction in reclaiming the government-owned quarters from the lawmakers, stressing that his failure to enforce their eviction undermines the rule of law and transparency in governance.
“As advocates for good governance, we find it unacceptable that Governor Fubara continues to tolerate this illegality,” Enyi added. “We hereby issue a seven-day ultimatum to the Rivers State Government to remove all illegal occupants from Assembly properties. Failure to do so will compel us to take legal action.”
The call for eviction adds another layer to the deepening political crisis in Rivers State, where a protracted power struggle between Governor Fubara and the Amaewhule-led faction of the Assembly has fueled tensions and uncertainty.
With ITSGL’s ultimatum now in play, all eyes are on the Rivers State Government to determine its next course of action in this high-stakes political standoff.
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