Court Stops Rivers Lawmakers Expulsion From PDP

A Port Harcourt high court has granted an order of interim injunction, restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State from suspending 27 members of the state assembly or declare their seats vacant.

Members of the state assembly, who had pre-empted the action of the party had gone to court on April 26, through their counsel, Emenike Ebete, to file the motion.

The court, presided over by Justice Henry Aprioke, however, had directed that the party held actions until the motion on notice was heard determined by the court.

Meanwhile, the decision of the Felix Obuah-led  faction of the PDP in Rivers State to suspend 27 out of the 32 members of the state assembly on Monday had been described as a plot to destroy the party in the state.

Reacting to the action of the party’s faction on Tuesday, senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Magnus Abe, said what was happening was an effort by some persons to undermine the country’s constitution.

According to the senator, the suspension of more that 70 per cent of the state’s legislature was a ploy to intimidate the public representation, which he said was unconstitutional.

He, however, urged both the people of the state and member of the legislature to go about their normal businesses and avoid anything that could endanger the peace of the state, as that was the target of those who were engineering the current crisis in the state.

“I think it is ridiculous and it is clear that the so-called PDP exco that has been foisted on the state is there only to try to destroy the party, because anybody, who is a legislator will tell you that nobody by the laws of this country is supposed to try to intimidate the legislature in the execution of their constitutional duties.

“So, what this amounts to is a clear effort by somebody to undermine the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It has never happened anywhere.

“Even in the House of  Representatives when the party came to prevail on the PDP members in the National Assembly to elect somebody as speaker and they elected somebody else, nobody suspended all the PDP members of the House of Representatives, because everybody understands that a lawmaker is supposed to vote his conscience at critical times.

“That is the foundation of our presidential system of government. So, we are not in a parliamentary democracy where the party can order you to vote one way or the other.

“So, it is a ridiculous action. And I want to urge Rivers people to ignore it and urge the House of Assembly to ignore it and go about their constitutional responsibilities. Nobody can intimidate the legislature in this country.

“My message to Rivers people is to remain calm. They should not allow themselves to be provoked because what is going is that people want a crisis in Rivers state by all means.

“We know where it is coming from and we know what it is targeted at. This state has witnessed unprecedented peace and development over the last few years. And, we should be careful that we are not in any way deceived to throw all that overboard.

“So, it’s just to urge Rivers people to be calm . By the grace of God, the intervention of higher courts and well meaning Nigerians , I believe that Rivers state is too precious to this country for us to allow it to be destroyed on the alter of the personal ambition of anybody ,no matter how highly placed.