The All Progressives Congress (APC) says a statement by Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, that the members of the state’s house of assembly do not exist, was reckless.
On Monday, Fubara said the existence of members of the
Rivers state house of assembly is based on his recognition.
In the past few months, Fubara and members of the Rivers
state assembly have been at loggerheads.
The rift between the governor and Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), has led members of the Rivers assembly to take sides.
In a statement on Friday, Felix Morka, spokesperson of the
APC, said the state house of assembly is a creation of the constitution.
“Governor Fubara’s declaration that the Rivers State House
of Assembly does not exist is not only reckless, it is a direct affront to the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement reads.
“The House of Assembly is a creation of the Constitution,
and vested with the legislative authority of the state.
“The members of the
Assembly were elected by the good people of Rivers state in the same manner
that Fubara was elected Governor.
“The Assembly does not exist at the Governor’s pleasure or
fanciful whims. The legislature is at the core of the idea of democracy. It is
co-equal with the executive and judicial arms of government.
“The constitutionally entrenched principle of separation of
powers among the three arms of government guarantees essential checks and
balances required to ensure observance of the rule of law. The rule of law is
indispensable to democracy and constitutional order.
“If his declaration that the House of Assembly is
nonexistent is based on the fact that the 27 members who decamped from PDP to
APC have lost their seats, then Governor Fubara is sorely misled.”
Morka said the alleged attack by Fubara on the house of
assembly and its leadership is disrespectful to the order of a court.
“Governor Fubara’s quest to repudiate the Constitution and
govern in denial of the existence of the state legislature is, in and of
itself, among other grounds, an impeachable offence,” he said.
“We strongly counsel Governor Fubara to submit himself to
the dictates of the constitution and the rule of law.”
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So it was not enough for the so called defected APC members to realise that if you defect from the party that gave you mandate, you cease to carry that mandate they gave you. As far as those law makers have become law breakers by defecting stupidly to APC even as their benefactor remains in PDP, they are no more members of the Rivers state Assembly. Hope they read the constitution as vlaw makers, they should understand better. Sim Fubara is right.
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