27 Rivers Lawmakers: Court Stops PDP Exco

A Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice S.H Aprioku, has issued an order of interim injunction against the new leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Felix Obuah from suspending 27 members of the state House of Assembly from the party.

This followed an affidavit by Hon Chidi Julius Lloyd, the applicant, member, state House of Assembly, entered by counsel to the lawmakers, Emenike Ebete (Esq).

After hearing counsel to the applicants last Monday, Justice Aprioku, therefore issued the interim injunction restraining the defendants, either by themselves, agents, privies or whosoever from suspending the claimants as members of the first defendants, PDP, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The order also restrains the party from declaring the claimants’ seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly vacant and applying to the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct elections to replace the 27 members of the state House of Assembly, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The recent development, The Tide learnt may not be unconnected with the suspension of the elected council chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government and 17 wards councillors for  which the PDP executive had directed the House to rescind its decision, and threatened to take disciplinary action against the lawmakers.

Meanwhile, member of the House of Representatives representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency, Dr Sokonte Davies, has thrown his weight behind the Chief Godpower Ake-led executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, saying, it remains the authentic executive of the party in the state, as it was a product of the party’s congress.

Davies, who bared his mind in an interview with The Tide in Port Harcourt, said he participated in the congress which threw up Chief Godpower Ake and others as members of the PDP exco in the state on March 17, 2012, and wondered why people who did not participate in the congress would today hijack the PDP machinery in the state.

To this end, the federal lawmaker said he was at a loss to recognise the executive of the party apparently foisted on the state by an Abuja High Court and led by former chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, Mr Felix Obuah, saying , the seeming crisis currently rocking the PDP in the state was unwarranted going by the excellent performance of the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led administration.

According to him, what Governor Amaechi deserved today for performing creditably in office was support and not distraction.

While sueing for truth, Davies noted that the issue on ground had gone beyond giving Governor Amaechi a confidence vote, stressing that what was at stake was good governance, justice and fairness.

He said Governor Amaechi had done so well in office that the international community and countries were inviting him to address them, a situation he noted, had  re-engineered the perception of good governance in Nigeria.

The lawmaker further indicated that if there was somebody that had better laundered the image of governors in the country, particularly South-South Governors, Governor Amaechi was the person.

According to him, the governor’s excellent performance was so glaring that even his greatest critics and detractors could attest to it.

“It is so obvious that the blind can see it and the deaf can hear it. It is very obvious”, he said.

Davies expressed delight that the Chief Godpower Ake-led executive of the PDP had gone to Court of Appeal to challenge the Abuja High Court judgement, saying, the truth would at the end of the day prevail because, according to him, “you can not fight the truth forever”.

While urging Governor Amaechi to remain focused and steadfast, the federal lawmaker assured that ‘ the God that made him governor in 2007 would definitely see him through this political storm”.

Donatus Ebi

L-R: Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Senator Magnus Abe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Gas, Senator Nkechi Nwaogu, Chairman, Senate Joint Committee on the Petroleum Industry Bill, Senator Emmanuel Paulker and Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Umaru Dahiru, at the Joint Committee on Petroleum Industry Bill workshop in Abuja last Monday