• Says Ruling Has Nothing to Do with 27 Ex-PDP Lawmakers

• Safiu Kehinde

Rivers State Government has clarified the verdict of the Supreme Court on Monday, stressing that the ruling has nothing to do with the 27 former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers who defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

As against the purported dismissal of the Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s suit against the 27 lawmakers of the state House of Assembly, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Edison Ehie, claimed that the ruling was about the order to re-present the 2024 budget before the reinstated Speaker of the House, Martins Amaewhule.

Ehie, made the clarification in a Facebook post, stressing that the Supreme Court decision on Monday was about the Appeal Court Judgement that Fubara should re-present the 2024 budget before the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly.

He said since the 2024 budget has been spent, Fubara thought to withdraw his appeal against the judgement because it will be a mere academic exercise to dwell on the matter.

“This appeal SC/CV/1071/ 2024: GOV of Rivers State v Rivers State House of Assembly & Ors that came up today at the Supreme Court has become purely academic.

“The case leading to this appeal was before James Omotosho as SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023. It was filed on the 29th day of November 2023.

“SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 pertains to the 2024 budget, which is no longer alive, the monies appropriated therein having been judiciously spent for the benefit of the good people of Rivers State.

“The 2024 budget became spent on the 31st December of the 2024 fiscal year

“The appeal is of no useful purpose in this year 2025, which has its budget.

“The only reasonable thing left to do in the circumstances was to withdraw the appeal and have it dismissed.

“It would be most unwise to belabour the Honourable Court with academic appeals without any practical or utilitarian value.

“It is important to note that after Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023 was filed on 29th November 2023, Martin Chike and his 26 friends defected from PDP to APC on the 11th Day of December 2023. Their seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly became vacant.

“This appeal that was withdrawn today has nothing to do with the seats of Martin Chike Amaewhule and his 26 friends in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The members of the public should not be taken in by the misleading propaganda by Martin Chike Amaewhule and his 26 friends.” Ehie said.