A lawyer, Kenneth Amadi, has written to the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee, INEC, to start recall proceedings towards the Speaker of the Rivers State Home of Meeting, Martin Amaewhule.
The event is the most recent twist within the protracted political disaster in Rivers State, which ensued after Fubara fell out along with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, presently minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Amaewhule’s seat and that of 26 others pro-Wike members of the Meeting had been declared vacant by lawmakers loyal to Fubara following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Get together, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Because of the event, Fubara labored with the Victor Oko-Jumbo-led three-man faction of the Meeting.
Fubara offered the price range to the Oko-Jumbo group, and so they additionally confirmed commissioner nominees and different appointments coming from the governor.
Nonetheless, Amaewhule and the 26 others later renounced their defection and the Supreme Court docket, in a judgement on twenty eighth February, 2025, ordered that they need to resume sitting instantly.
The apex court docket additionally ordered the governor to symbolize the 2025 price range to the State Meeting, beneath Amaewhule’s management.
In the meantime, a letter obtained by DAILY POST on Wednesday, twelfth March, 2025, confirmed that proceedings have been initiated to recall Amaewhule from the Meeting.
The letter, dated seventh March, 2025, and addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Rivers State, was titled, ‘Pre-Motion Discover: Request made pursuant to the Structure of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Freedom of Info Act, 2011, for a licensed true copy of the verified voter register for Obio/Akpor Federal/State Constituency, Rivers State as preliminary steps in direction of the recall of Martins Amaewhule, the legislator representing Obio/Akpor State Constituency on the Rivers State Home of Meeting’.
A stamp on the acknowledgement copy of the letter confirmed that it was obtained by the INEC workplace on eleventh March, 2025.
The lawyer, Amadi, defined within the letter that he’s the lawyer to a number of indigenes of Obio/Akpor Native Authorities Space of Rivers State, Amaewhule’s constituency.
He additional defined that the request is in accordance with the FOI Act, 2011, and sections 69 and 110 of the 1999 Structure, in addition to Part 116 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) which empowers INEC to conduct recall proceedings towards a member of the Nationwide Meeting or State Meeting, or Space Council of the FCT, “upon the receipt of a legitimate petition alleging a lack of confidence within the member by greater than 50% of voters registered to vote in that member’s constituency”.
Components of the letter learn, “I write in my capability as a lawyer to a number of indigenes of Obio/Akpor Native Authorities Space of Rivers State who’re desirous of initiating a recall of Martins Amaewhule for the next causes:
“Defection from the Peoples Democratic Get together to the All Progressives Congress in December 2023.
“Failure to offer efficient illustration for almost all of the general public pursuits of constituents, as a substitute specializing in his personal private pursuits and the pursuits of his political godfather.
“Constant involvement in undemocratic, unlawful and violent impeachment actions for the reason that 12 months 2013 when he moved the movement for impeachment of a duly and legally appointed Speaker of the Rivers State Home of Meeting.
“Disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria delivered on twenty eighth February 2025 which directed all events to await the ultimate willpower of the authorized standing of Amaewhule and 26 different law-makers of the Rivers State Home of Meeting who defected in December 2023.
“Unlawful usurpation of the duties of His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State by modification of sure legal guidelines of Rivers State to confer upon himself the powers to increase the tenure of Chairmen of the 23 Native Authorities Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State and appointment of Commissioners of the Rivers State Home of Meeting Service Fee (simply to say a couple of).
“Failure to satisfy his marketing campaign guarantees to construct agriculture and aquaculture farms for teens of Obio/Akpor State constituency, simply to say a couple of.
“Failure to publish and adjust to a legislative agenda of the Rivers State Home of Meeting as is the legislative follow of the Nationwide Meeting.”
The letter warned that if the requested CTC of the voter register will not be made accessible inside seven days, the constituents will take authorized motion to implement their authorized rights.
Talking additional, Amadi stated Amaewhule has serially violated court docket orders since he was restored because the speaker of the Meeting.
The lawyer added that the enterprise of lawmaking had come to a standstill, because the Amaewhule-led Meeting is simply concerned about combating the Rivers State Impartial Electoral Fee, RSIEC.
“Within the days instantly after the Supreme Court docket of Nigeria judgment of twenty eighth February 2025, Amaewhule has issued a number of ultimatums towards the Chairman of RSIEC and extra lately a bench warrant for the arrest of the chairman and commissioners of the RSIEC.
“That is despite a legitimate injunction of a Excessive Court docket of Rivers State that stops Amaewhule and the Rivers State Home of Meeting from doing something towards the stated Chairman of the RSIEC pending the listening to of the continuing lawsuit that the stated chairman of the RSIEC filed towards Amaewhule and his 26 lawmakers,” he stated.
Amadi added that the “unusual and exuberant zeal that Amaewhule and his 26 lawmakers are expending upon the RISEC alone since their resumption since after twenty eighth February 2025 raises numerous suspicion and fear”.
“It’s because it seems that the complete enterprise of lawmaking of the Rivers State Home of Meeting has come to a standstill, there is no such thing as a point out of another actions corresponding to Payments that bear first or second studying, there is no such thing as a point out of constituency initiatives or visits to constituencies, and positively no point out of oversight capabilities.
“The one exercise that we hear and examine because the operate of the Rivers State Home of Meeting is ultimatums and bench warrant for the arrest of the Chairman and Commissioners of the RISEC,” he additional noticed.
DAILY POST studies that the political disaster in Rivers State additional escalated on Wednesday, twelfth March, 2025, with Governor Sim Fubara prevented from having access to the Meeting quarters to current the 2025 price range to the lawmakers, as ordered by the Supreme Court docket.
Regardless of a letter forwarded by Fubara to the Speaker, Amaewhule, dated eleventh March, 2025, which notified the lawmakers of the governor’s intention to current the price range on twelfth March, 2025, the gates of the Meeting quarters had been locked when Fubara and different authorities officers arrived for the operate.
The governor left with out presenting the price range, main to a different deadlock within the already protracted political disaster.
Talking after the incident, Fubara accused Amaewhule of intentionally avoiding him.
He stated he referred to as Amaewhule severally however the Speaker refused to reply.
