Rivers Crisis: We Have Fulfilled Our Part of Peace Accord, Says Wike
in Port Harcourt
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, yesterday said that his political camp in Rivers State had fulfilled its part of the peace accord initiated by President Bola Tinubu and endorsed by all the parties involved in the political crisis in the state.
Wike, a former Rivers State governor, spoke when he visited
It is final and binding not minding the latest decision of the Supreme Court in the governorship appeal in respect of Plateau State''.
He observed that the latest decision of the apex court was consistent with all of its earlier or previous decisions on who has the locus standi to challenge the outcome of a party primary or nomination of a candidate of a political party.
"Unfortunately, the Court of Appeal defiantly refused to follow the decision of the Supreme Court and thereby visited grave injustice on other PDP candidates involved in national and state legislative houses election in Plateau State.
"More worrisome, surprising and embarrassing is the fact that the same Court of Appeal had held and pronounced in the Presidential Election Petitions that whoever is not a member of a political party or is not an aspirant in the primary election of a political party, cannot challenge the nomination of a candidate of another party. How and why it didn’t follow its own decision leaves much to be the Oba of Ogbaland in the Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (LGA) of the state, His Royal Highness Eze Nnam Obi III.
The minister told the king that he was disposed to peace in the state and would not disappoint the monarch.
He said: “We accepted whatever decision Mr. President has taken and we have on our own fulfilled every condition given by Mr. President because I told you I desired.
"In a plethora of judicial authorities, the Supreme Court had held that a refusal to follow its decision as the apex court of the land on similar issues by a lower court amounted to judicial rascality. I say no more.”
Similarly, Mr. Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) noted that "there is nothing that can be done about that. Since their cases have terminated at the Court of Appeal, it is the end of the road for them".
He pointed out that there is no room for a review or an appeal on their cases.
"As it were, the people concerned would have to bear their fates with equanimity. There has been a fait accompli here," he added.
But for Mr. Ahmed Raji (SAN), the fate of the Plateau State’s lawmakers is similar to a situation where the law under which a person is convicted is subsequently pronounced unconstitutional.
"Will the convict continue to remain in jail or will he be set free? There are two schools of thought on the issue. will not let you down.
“It is just to let you know that your request of making sure there is peace in the state of which you asked Mr. President to intervene, we have accepted.
“And I want you to use this opportunity to continue to pray for Mr. President for God to continue to give him wisdom to pilot the affairs of this nation”
The former governor said: “If there is peace in the states, it will
Perhaps the affected parties should consult widely on the pronouncements of my noble Lord Okoro JSC against the finality of the Court of Appeal's judgment in the state and National Assembly seats."
In his comments, Dr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN), who commended the Supreme Court for deepening democracy in Nigeria, said: "Regarding the options open to those who lost their legislative seats on account of the judgments of the Court of Appeal, sitting in Jos, I think that it must be recognised that the Court of Appeal is the final court for the determination of that level of electoral disputes in Nigeria. There is no clear legal or constitutional basis for them to seek judicial review of those judgments in any manner that will not create a bad precedent in our jurisprudence.”
Plateau Assembly Speaker Declares Appeal Court- ordered APC Members Illegitimate help peace in Nigeria. So, I will urge you and your council to continue to pray for Mr. President for God to continue to give him the wisdom to pilot the affairs of the country.”
Wike was accompanied by the Minister of State for Petroleum (Oil), Mr. Heineken Lokpobiri; his predecessor, Chief Timipre Sylva; Felix Obuah, Senator Sam Anyanwu, Senator Barinada Mpigi, and Chief Victor Giadom.
Meanwhile, based on the Supreme Court’s nullification of the sacking of Governor Mutfwang by the Court of Appeal, the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Gabriel Dewan, has declared that he will not grant recognition for 16 Court of Appeal-ordered APC members, stressing that he would only recognise eight members of the house out of the 24 lawmakers.
While speaking to journalists in Jos, Dewan took a swipe at the decisions of the Court of Appeal that nullified the election of PDP members and gave their seats to APC members.
Declaring the 16 opposition APC members persona non grata outrightly, Dewan declared: “As it stands now, only eight members are recognised in the assembly.”
It would be recalled that Dewan, the sole member of the Young Peoples Party (YPP-Pankshin North), assumed the role of speaker in the he at of the Appeal Court sacking of the 16 members elected on the platform of the PDP.