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Justice Omotosho’s Ruling Stands as Sole Valid Judgment on Rivers Assembly Members – Rep Solomon Bob

Published

7 days ago

February 14, 2025

Gloria Ikibah

…say Falana’s assertion is baseless, lacks merit

By Gloria Ikibah

Rep. Solomon Bob, representing Abua/Odual and Ahoada East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has stated that Justice Omotosho’s judgment, along with the affirmed appeals, remains the only valid court decision on the status of the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday in response to Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), Rep. Bob dismissed his claims suggesting the lawmakers had lost their seats, and said “Mr. Falana’s assertion is baseless and lacks legal merit”.

Naijablitznews.com recalls that on January 10, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Governor Siminilayi Fubara against the Court of Appeal’s ruling, which had previously upheld Justice Joseph Omotosho’s decision in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1613/2023.

Speaking on the judgement the Rivers lawmaker stated that “Justice Omotosho’s judgment, which was delivered on 22nd January 2024, touched on the entirety of the issues at the centre of the crisis, including:

(a) leadership and membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly and

(b) presentation of the 2024 appropriation law or any presentations to the House of Assembly.

“One of the judgment orders declares that:

“AN ORDER is hereby made restraining the 11th Defendant (Governor Fubara) from howsoever or in whatsoever manner making any request, presentation, or nomination in the Rivers State House of Assembly except to the House of Assembly under the leadership of the 2nd Plaintiff” (Speaker Martin Amaewhule).

“Clearly, the judgment does not address question of the 2024 budget presentation alone, but all subsequent presentations (including that of 2025), requests, or nominations before the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“However, the ink on the Supreme Court’s dismissal had hardly dried up when Mr. Femi Falana SAN appeared on a television programme to proffer yet another misleading interpretation.

“In his presentation, Mr Falana claimed that the dismissed appeal related only to the 2024 appropriation law and, therefore, merely academic.

“As the above order shows, Mr. Falana was wrong. He was also downplaying the dire ramifications of spending without an appropriation law.

“He also claimed that the dismissed appeal did not touch on the question of membership of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Indeed, virtually all the reliefs sought and granted by the Federal High Court and the decision of the Court of Appeal affirm the subsisting membership of the House of Assembly by the 27 legislators.

“By reason of section 272(3) of the constitution, only the Federal High Court is vested with jurisdiction on any question of vacancy in the seats of a House of Assembly”, he added.

According to Rep. Bob, contrary to Falana’s “vaunted opinion”, section 109(1)(g) of the constitution is not self-executory. “And realistically, under a constitutional democracy, no law is. Because every constitutional provision is ultimately subject to judicial interpretation. To suggest otherwise is to deny the imperative of judicial review”.

He expressed concerns by “Mr. Falana’s consistent penchant for misleading the public with respect to the Rivers crisis”.

“Often presenting his brief to the appotheosizing lay public as public interest advocacy, Mr. Falana eagerly justifies dangerous out-of-control behaviour and egregious constitutional abuse in Rivers State; the type he would certainly not accept in his native Ekiti.

“Nigeria’s recent history is regrettably replete with instances of defections right across state (and federal) legislatures. Mr. Falana has not been straining at the leash to make the same case in other instances.

“In his many public appearances on the Rivers crisis, he has employed self-serving sophistry and hollow whataboutism to justify every illegality and absurdity, including that 3 members can constitute the legal quorum in a House of as yet 30 members!

“Mr. Falana should separate his animus towards an individual from his exposition of the law and have the humility to admit that he is not the law.

“Because no matter how much legal knowledge he professes, his opinion remains his personal opinion and can not approximate to the law. As Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes once famously said, the law is “The prophecies of what the courts will do in fact…”

“As Rivers State reels under Fubara’s unexampled and deliquent misrule, and the courts undo his myriad criminal misdeeds, a lawyer of Mr. Falana’s prominence should at least respect their decision, not mislead the public”, Rep Bob asserted.

Related Topics:Court Fubara Nigeria Rivers Rivers crisis

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President Tinubu endorses bills establishing varsities in Osun, Ekiti

Published

2 hours ago

February 21, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, February 20, 2025, endorsed to two bills establishing the Federal University of Agriculture and Development Studies, Iragbiji in Osun State, and the Federal University of Technology and Environmental Sciences, Iyin Ekiti, Ekiti State.

He said these specialised institutions will address the educational needs of the populace while driving research and innovation and contributing to the country’s overall economic growth and development.

He said the institutions will serve as training grounds for developing agriculture, science and technology professionals and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global economy.

According to the National Universities Commission (NUC), Nigeria currently has 63 approved federal universities, 63 State universities, and 149 private universities.

On February 3, 2025, the president approved the establishment of the Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET) in Ogoni town of Tai, Rivers State.

Tinubu also consented to the federal government’s takeover of a forfeited private university in Southern Kaduna and its transformation into a federal university.

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“I will advise Trump not to be weak with Putin – Macron

Published

2 hours ago

February 21, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that France was entering a “new era” and that he planned to tell US President Donald Trump he could not “be weak” with Vladimir Putin.

Macron spoke to the French ahead of a planned visit to the White House to meet Trump next week, as Europe scrambles to respond to his Ukraine war shift.

“I’m going to tell him: ‘You can’t be weak with President Putin. That’s not who you are, it’s not your trademark, it’s not in your interest’”, Macron said as he answered questions from the French public on social media.

Trump will meet in Washington with Macron on Monday and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday next week, the White House said.

Trump has sent shock waves around Europe by saying he is ready to resume diplomacy with Putin to end Russia’s three-year war against Ukraine, over the heads of European countries and Kyiv.

In recent days French officials have said the French public needed to understand the magnitude of the threat coming from the Kremlin.

Macron told reporters earlier this week: “Russia poses an existential threat to Europeans.”

On Thursday, the French president said that France needed to beef up security amid the shock policy shift in US-Russia relations.

I am convinced that we are entering a new era. It will impose choices on us,” Macron said. “We Europeans must increase our war effort.”

Macron stressed he did not plan to send troops to Ukraine “tomorrow” but indicated that France was considering providing security guarantees to Ukraine following a ceasefire deal with Russia.

“I have not decided to send troops to Ukraine tomorrow, no,” he said.

“What we are considering instead is sending forces to guarantee peace once it has been negotiated,” he said.

Speaking to AFP earlier Thursday, a French source familiar with the discussions said France was working with European countries to ensure security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire agreement.

Macron also said he planned to speak to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later Thursday.

AFP

News

Insecurity! Ex-presidential Candidate Reportedy Shot, Abducted in Abuja

Published

2 hours ago

February 21, 2025

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

…as bandits demand N100m ransom

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

An ex- presidential candidate, Eniola Ojajuni, has been reportedly shot and abducted by bandits in Abuja.

Mr Ojajuni was abducted from his vehicle on Monday, family sources revealed.

Mr Ojajuni was the presidential candidate of the defunct Alliance for Democracy, in 2019.

The politician was on his way to a meeting when he was attacked.

“The kidnappers have reached out to his (Mr Ojajuni) wife, demanding a ransom of N100 million,” said a source on Thursday.

The source also revealed that Mr Ojajuni, the national president of the Afenifere Youths Council, was shot in the buttocks during the attack.

“The Afenifere National Youths Council is deeply saddened to announce the kidnapping of its national president, Prince Eniola Joseph Ojajuni, in Abuja, Nigeria.

“During the kidnapping, Prince Ojajuni sustained a bullet wound on his buttock. We are deeply concerned about his safety and well-being, and we urge the kidnappers to release him unharmed,” the youth group said in a statement.

The FCT police command spokeswoman, Josephine Adeh, could not be immediately reached for a comment.