Rivers Crisis: Court stops Fubara’s removal

…. Restrains Speaker, Depuuty Speaker

An interim order restraining the Rivers State House of Assembly from proceeding with the planned impeachment of Governor Siminalayi Fubara have been delivered by a Rivers State High Court sitting in Isiokpo, Rivers State

The court restrained the Speaker of the House, Martin Amaewhule, Deputy Speaker, Dumle Mao, the Clerk of the House, and the State Chief Judge, Justice Simeon Chibuzor-Amadi.

Justice O. Ben-Whyte issued the restraining order after Fubara’s lawyer, Damian Okoro, argued before him an ex parte application marked IHC/230/CS/2023.

The judge, in his ruling, held that: “It is hereby ordered that the parties in the case maintain the status quo in the case by the applicant as the Governor of Rivers State pending the application of the Motion on Notice.

The case is hereby adjourned till the 14th of November, 2023 for the argument of the Motion on Notice.

The court injunction is the latest in the unfolding political drama in Rivers State, which began on Monday night with the bombing of the state Assembly complex over the plot by the lawmakers to remove the governor. The lawmakers’ action is at the instance of Fubara’s predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Wike, on Wednesday, refused all entreaties to resolve the political feud with Fubara despite the intervention of President Bola Tinubu and the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum.

At a meeting with PDP governors in Abuja on Wednesday, Wike justified the impeachment plot against Fubara as constitutional.

He also warned Fubara against any alliance with his political enemies to undermine him.

But undeterred by the minister’s belligerence, Fubara at a forum in Port Harcourt, hinted that the crisis would be resolved, describing his relationship with Wike as that of a father and son.

The PUNCH reports that moves by 24 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to Wike to impeach Fubara had resulted in turbulence in the state on Monday, as the governor’s loyalists stormed the assembly complex in protest against the plot.

In a bid to resolve the spat between the two men, the President held a meeting with Wike and Fubara on Tuesday while the PDP governors led by their Chairman and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, also met with the minister 24 hours later.