Emmanuel Masha 
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the alleged plot by Hon. Martins Amaewhule, the factional speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly and 26 other lawmakers as a threat to democracy that could deepen the crisis rocking the state.
Eze, in a statement, claimed that the 27 lawmakers are not acting in the overall interest of the people of Rivers, urging them to bury the thought of attempting to impeach the Governor because it will backfire on them.
He counselled them to be circumspect and mindful of the kind of orders they take from Wike, stressing that the FCT Minister does not mean well for the state and people should be careful not to make themselves willing tools in his hands to destroy the state.
The APC chieftain also called on Amaewhule and the 26 other lawmakers loyal to the FCT Minister, to be circumspect in their struggle to return from political relegation after their voluntary retirement from the business of lawmaking since December of 2023.
He urged the camp of the FCT minister to adopt the verdict of the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/ABJ/133/CS/2023, rather than interpret it in a manner that would continually keep the state in crisis,
Eze said the verdict did not touch on the vacancy or otherwise of the seats of the defected former lawmakers who lost their positions upon their exit from PDP – the party on which platform they were elected into office, and whose seats were declared vacant on the 13th day of December, 2023 by the RT. Hon. Edison Ehie, then Speaker of the Assembly.
He said that Section 109(i) (g) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria is automatic and needs no judicial interpretation to take effect and called on the former lawmakers to awake from the euphoria of the false narrative adopted and sold to them by their team of judgement interpreters, whose vague interpretations cannot help their situation.
Eze said given that Section 109(i) (g) takes automatic effect upon the defection of a member of a State House of Assembly, one would have loved to see the Court of Appeal order a stay of proceedings on the matter to allow the determination of the question of whether or not the 27 former lawmakers are still members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He noted that the Court of Appeal verdict does not restore the former lawmakers to their lost seats, adding that it has been exposed to ridicule, particularly by the Wike group who he alleged are desperate to hold on to anything from the Court to assert themselves.
“Martins Amaewhule and his co-travellers are now hinging on the judgement of the Appeal court wrongly interpreted to them to assume that they have returned from their self-inflicted political relegation, so much so that they could muscle courage to go the extent of purportedly sitting to conduct legislative business when they have no such powers,” he said.
Eze reminded those who seem lost in the euphoria of the ridiculous interpretation of the Court of Appeal judgement that the question of whether or not the 27 former lawmakers have not lost their seats by virtue of their defection, is still pending before the courts and until the question is determined in their favour they remain former members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, hence and lack the legitimacy to carry-on any legislative function for the state.
