Amaewhule’s Group Sets Trap For Fubara After Appeal Court Victory
2 min read- Rivers Govt Heads To Supreme Court
With Thursday’s court of appeal judgement against the Rivers State governor, Sim Fubara, the governor may have got into a trap set for him by the Martins Amaewhule group in the Rivers State House of Assembly loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
But there were indications that the state government will file a motion for stay of execution as well as a notice of appeal before the Supreme Court.
From the judgement of the court of appeal, the Amaewhule group which has allegedly been plotting to impeach the governor now has grounds to move for his impeachment on the grounds of spending state funds without a budget.
An insider confided in TNN on Thursday that some members of the Amaewhule group of lawmakers discussed shortly after the judgement, on the next move against the governor, especially as it is perceived that the governor may not be in the mood to appear before them to present another budget for 2024.
One source told TNN that this will form the crux of deliberations on the floor of the House when the Amaewhule Assembly meets either on Friday or next week. As at Thursday, Amaewhule is recognized in law as the speaker of the state house of assembly.
It is not clear how Fubara intends to wriggle out of the current imbroglio. Calls by TNN to the state commissioner for justice, Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, as well as his information counterpart, Joe Johnson were not answered.
Justice Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had described the passage of the Rivers State’s 2024 Appropriation Bill by the four lawmakers, led by Ehie Edison, as an aberration and illegality.
He consequently ordered Governor Fubara to represent the budget to the Martins Amaewhule-led Assembly. That order was affirmed on Thursday by the court of appeal, which also slammed a N500,000 fine against the governor for wasting the time of the court.