By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
SIX leaders from Rivers State have dragged President Bola Tinubu to the Federal High Court in Abuja for allegedly compelling Governor Siminalayi Fubara to enter into what they called “an unconstitutional agreement.”
The leaders insisted that the purported agreement, which was signed on December 18, was illegal and amounted to an usurpation, nullification, and undermining of the extant/relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The plaintiffs, led by a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly representing Bonny State Constituency, Victor Jumbo, are Senator Bennett Birabi, Senator Andrew Uchendu, Rear Admiral O. P. Fingesi, Ann Kio Briggs, and Emmanuel Deinma.
The leaders are, hence, praying the court to determine whether President Tinubu, Governor Fubara, and the Rivers State Assembly have the rights, and are entitled to enter into any agreement that can impinge on the constitution and provisions of Section 109(I)(g) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
According to them, neither President Tinubu nor Governor Fubara has the statutory powers to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting fresh elections to replace the 27 Rivers State lawmakers who defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recall that the rift between Fubara and his predecessor Nyesom Wike, had split the state House of Assembly into two after the defection of the 27 lawmakers.
Consequently, the defection led the Edison Ehie group to declare the seats of the 27 members vacant.
However, President Tinubu had, last Monday, met with Fubara and Wike at the Aso Villa in Abuja where President Tinubu reportedly directed that the warring parties withdraw all matters instituted in the courts by Fubara, and his team and that the leadership of Martin Amaewhule in the Rivers State House of Assembly be recognised, and not that of Edison Ehie.
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