Supreme Court Ruling on Rivers State Sparks Ijaw National Uproar

The Supreme Court's ruling to declare the most recent Rivers State local government elections invalid has been denounced by the Ijaw National Congress (INC).

The Niger Delta organization also cautioned against any attempt to remove Siminalayi Fubara, the governor of Rivers State, from office, saying that doing so may jeopardize regional peace.

The INC emphasized that the impeachment of Fubara might undermine economic stability and national harmony, especially in the oil and gas-rich region.

The congress also voiced worries that the entire region would be thrown into chaos by the Supreme Court's decision on Friday, which upheld the legitimacy of the 27 parliamentarians who support Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

In a statement provided to reporters, INC President Prof. Benjamin Okaba cautioned against the Ijaws in Rivers State becoming politically marginalized.

He pointed out that Ijaws continue to be marginalized in other states including Ondo, Edo, Delta, and Akwa Ibom, demonstrating that the problem of political exclusion is not limited to Rivers State.

The Supreme Court's decision regarding the political issue in Rivers was also criticized by Prof. Okaba, who claimed that it ignored the political and historical sacrifices made by the Ijaw people in the administration of Rivers State.

"In 1999, an Ijaw leader, Chief Marshall Harry, was instrumental in securing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for Dr. Peter Odili, despite a formidable challenge from Sergeant Awuse," he said, highlighting the Ijaw people's decades-long influence on the state's leadership. Harry also made sure Odili won over Chief Ebenezer Isokariari of the All Peoples Party (APP), a Kalabari opponent.

Prof. Okaba went on, "The INC remembers that in 2003, when Marshall Harry supported Sergeant Awuse's desire to become governor, it was Harry who was slain, not Awuse, which was a devastating loss for the Ijaw people. By 2007, Ijaw leaders such as Soboma George and Farrah Dagogo played a significant part in winning victory for Sir Celestine Omehia, while Prince Igodo, a Kalabari-Ijaw warrior, was slain during Omehia’s swearing-in to avert security breaches."

He said, "In 2011, when Rotimi Amaechi sought to nominate Pastor Tonye Cole as a minister, Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of then-President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, ensured that Nyesom Wike took the slot instead."

A political elite from the Ikwerre ethnic group is now attempting to thwart the first riverine governor in decades, the INC leader claimed, in spite of their sacrifices.

He said that Governor Fubara will have the support of the Ijaw people "with every pint of blood in their veins."

Prof. Okaba also issued a warning: Despite the INC's painstaking efforts to maintain peace in the Niger Delta, which have resulted in higher oil output and national income, the Ijaw people are currently being marginalized using the same resources.
Therefore, he urged President Bola Tinubu to step in and emphasized that the current political situation in Rivers State cannot be handled like any other political matter.

With over 40 million members globally, he issued a warning that the Ijaw people would not put up with any effort to discredit their position in Nigerian politics.

Prior to this, SaharaReporters stated that the Accountant General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and other government organizations were prohibited by the Supreme Court from transferring funds to the Rivers State Government.

Justice Emmanuel Akomaye delivered a unanimous decision on behalf of a five-member panel, which included this decision.

The apex court ruled that this restriction would remain in effect until the state government complies with previous court rulings it had been accused of disregarding.

The court also dismissed a cross-appeal by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who had challenged the legitimacy of the Rivers State House of Assembly under the leadership of Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
After ruling against Fubara, the Supreme Court ordered Amaewhule and other elected officials to return to their legislative duties right away.

In its ruling, the court chastised Governor Fubara for excluding 28 constituencies by submitting the state's appropriations bill to a four-member legislature.

The action was characterized as a flagrant breach of an earlier directive that required the governor to present the 2024 budget to a duly elected assembly led by Amaewhule.

Furthermore, Fubara's handling of the purported defection of 28 lawmakers was denounced by the Supreme Court, which characterized his acts as authoritarian strategies intended to impede the legislative process.

Additionally, it condemned the destruction of the Rivers State House of Assembly structure, claiming that it was an abuse of presidential authority meant to stifle the legislature.

Additionally, the October 5, 2024, local government elections in Rivers State were declared invalid by the Supreme Court.

The court determined that the election was void because of serious Electoral Act violations in a ruling given by Justice Jamilu Tukur.

The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission was found to have violated electoral regulations by continuing voter registration after the election date was announced. As a result, the court ruled that the election process was invalid.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who was opposing the leadership of the Rivers State House of Assembly under Martin Amaewhule, who is devoted to Nyesom Wike, the former Rivers Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, according to DoroTv.

In his verdict, Justice Uwani Abba-Aji mentioned that Yusuf Ali (SAN), Fubara's attorney, had dropped the appeal.