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Updated: Fubara hugs transformer as Appeal Court affirms Amaewhule Rivers real Assembly Speaker
…directs gov to represent 2024 Budget to Amaewhule-led Assembly for approval
By Francesca Hangeior
Governor of Rivers State Governor Siminalaye Fubara seems to have embraced ‘firing squad’ as the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed Hon. Martin Amaewhule as the valid Speaker of the Rivers State Assembly.
The court also validated the Amaewhule-led members of the Assembly as bonafide lawmakers for the state.
The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel of Justices, dismissed an appeal that was lodged before it by Governor Siminalaye Fubara and upheld a judgement the Federal High Court delivered on January 22, which nullified the 2024 budget of Rivers State on the premise that it was not presented before members of the state assembly that were known to the law.
According to the appellate court, Fubara, shot himself on the foot when he voluntarily withdrew a counter-affidavit he filed to challenge a legal action the Amaewhule-led lawmakers instituted to be recognised as valid members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The court held that Fubara’s decision to present the 2024 Rivers State Appropriation Bill to only four out of 31 members of the Assembly, amounted to a gross violation of section 91 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Recall that the Rivers State Assembly was fractionalised owing to the frosty relationship between Governor Fubara and his predecessor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
In the heat of the fracas, governor Fubara sidelined the Amaewhule-led 26 members of the House that were loyal to Wike and presented the state’s N800billion 2024 budget before the four lawmakers led by Hon. Edison Ehie who had emerged as a factional Speaker of the Assembly.
The Ehie-led faction, which had also declared seats of the Amaewhule-led pro-Wike lawmakers vacant for defecting to the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the Peoples Democratic Party, promptly passed the budget which was quickly assented to by Governor Fubara.
Meanwhile, following the intervention of President Bola Tinubu, both Fubara and Wike signed a peace pact that included the restoration of Amaewhule as the bonafide Speaker of the State Assembly.
Reports have it that the factional Speaker, Ehie, who had approached the court and was joined as an interested party in the suit, subsequently withdrew all the processes he filed before the court and equally rescinded both his seat and his membership of the Assembly.
Whereas Governor Fubara, in line with terms of the peace deal, withdrew all the processes he filed to challenge the suit, however, the pro-Wike lawmakers only withdrew an impeachment notice they served on him while they declined to terminate their legal action.
While deciding the suit, Justice James Omotosho of the high court held that the budget was invalid as it was not properly presented before the Rivers State House of Assembly as required by the law.
It held that Governor Fubara acted like a tyrant when he demolished the Rivers State Assembly complex and withheld funds standing to the credit of the legislative house.
The court also described as unconstitutional the redeployment of the Clerk and Deputy Clerk of the Rivers State Assembly by Governor Fubara.
Justice Omotosho stressed that the governor lacked the statutory rights to interfere with the operations of the Assembly, adding that he acted in contempt of a subsisting order that barred the parties from taking any steps to overreach the matter that was pending before the court.
Besides, the court held that the National Assembly could not take over the legislative affairs of the state in the absence of the preconditions that were listed under section 11 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Consequently, the court, among other things, nullified all actions the Rivers Assembly took without the participation of the Amaewhule-led members of the House, among which included the presentation of the state appropriation bill.
It issued an order of injunction, restraining Governor Fubara from impeding or frustrating the operations of the Assembly under Amaewhule’s leadership as its speaker.
It ordered the governor to release all funds standing to the credit of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
While upholding the verdict of the lower court, the appellate court held that Fubara conceded to the Amaewhule-led lawmakers when he withdrew all the processes he filed against their suit.
“A party must be consistent in the presentation of its case. A party cannot approbate and reprobate or blow hot and cold at the same time,” the appellate court held.
It held that the orders of the trial court were appropriate given the circumstance of the case, saying the appeal Fubara filed before it amounted to an academic exercise.
Accordingly, it ordered Fubara to pay a cost of N500,000 to each of the Respondents in the appeal marked: CA/ABJ/CV/133/2024.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has vehemently dismissed any talk of retirement amid rumours that the Al-Kholood defender may quit the national team after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Despite being just 31 years old, Troost-Ekong is the oldest player in the team, with Moses Simon (29) the second oldest, while Alex Iwobi, who is 28, is the third oldest player in the current squad.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday ahead of Monday’s (today) Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Troost-Ekong, who was named the Most Valuable Player at the last AFCON in Ivory Coast, affirmed his commitment to the national team.
“It is a question I get asked a lot by Nigerians, but I think it is a bit too early,” he said.
He continued, “I am 31 now, and I think I am playing my best football in recent years. We are only talking about 12 months from now, so after that, we will see,” Troost-Ekong explained.
“It will not be my decision; it will be up to the coaches. Once I feel I am no longer an asset to the team, I will have that discussion.
“But I still have some targets in sight—that will be the AFCON in 2025 and the World Cup in 2026. We’ll see what happens afterwards.”
Troost-Ekong could add to his 75 international caps when the Eagles host the Amavubi today in their final game of the qualifiers.
News
Use Ondo Guber poll as template in Nig’s future elections – Coalition of 51 INEC recognized observer groups tell FG+Photos
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A coalition of 51 recognized INEC groups under the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, CCLCA have recommended that the Federal Government should adopt the Ondo Guber poll as a template for future elections in Nigeria.
The convener of the coalition, Dr Gabriel Nwambu made this disclosure in a post election press conference be stating that:
“Considering the manner the apex electoral body, INEC conducted the election in Ondo state last Saturday, we recommend this template for future elections in Nigeria.
Read full details of report below:
“We stand before you today as a coalition of 51 accredited observer organizations under the aegis of the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness. Our mission has been to observe the Ondo State Governorship Election held on November 16th, 2024, and to provide an unbiased report of our findings.
OVERVIEW OF OBSERVATIONS:
We observed the distribution of both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria in Akure to the Registration Area Centres (RAC) across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state under tight security in line with extant laws and the rules of engagement by the police. Ondo state has a total of 2,053,061 registered voters, but 1,757,205 people collected their Permanent Voters Card across the 18LGAs, 203 wards, and 3,933 polling units. INEC deployed 4 ad hoc staff pee polling unit, that is, one Presiding Officer and 3 Assistant Presiding Officers.
Out of the 19 registered political parties, 18 political parties fielded candidates for the election Although, 3 candidates stepped down before the election.
We also observed that the election materials were ultimately moved to the 3,933 polling units by INEC ad hoc staff, predominantly National Youth Service Corps members while the law enforcement agencies provided adequate security.
Voting commenced between 8.30AM and 10:00 AM in most observed polling units.
ELECTION INTEGRITY AND CHALLENGES:
Our field observers noted a few cases of voter inducement otherwise called vote- buying.An incident of concern involved military personnel denying access to accredited observers, despite proper identification.
Ladies and gentlemen, as a coalition of INEC Accredited Observer organizations, we are relieved to report that the election concluded without violence. This is a notable and progressive achievement as Ondo people have demonstrated maturity and the will to deepen our democratic values.The collation of results was conducted meticulously, adhering to the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. We as a coalition of INEC Accredited observer organizations having observed the performance of the BVAS in the process of authentication and accreditation of electorates, the logistics in terms of distribution of materials, the uploading of the FORM EC8A in the IRev viewing portal, the collation and announcement of election result hereby strongly recommend the Ondo state governorship election of 16th November, 2024 as a template for evey other election in Nigeria as we look forward to the Anambra state governorship election in November, 2025.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion,we assert that the Ondo State Governorship Election of 16th November, 2024, was conducted in line with the Electoral Act, 2022, and the 1999 Constitution as amended.
We as 51 INEC Accredited observer organizations hereby unequivocally declare that this election was transparent, free, fair, and credible. Importantly, we report no loss of life on election day, which reflects positively on the overall conduct of the election.
We would like to encourage those who lost in this election to be bold and exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship by congratulating the APC candidate who won landslide.
We commend the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police for the professionalism exhibited by officers and men in the discharge of their duties, the NSCDC, the DSS, and other paramilitary organizations in Nigeria as well as INEC for overseeing a credible election. Lastly, we applaud the people of Ondo State for their peaceful disposition, demonstrating their unwavering love for peace.
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Use Ondo Guber poll as template in Nig’s future elections – Coalition of 51 INEC recognized observer groups tell FG+Photos
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