The reinstated Rivers Speaker Martins Amaewhule has applauded the Court of Appeal judgement that nullified his expulsion and 24 other members of the House.
Amaewhule, who spoke at the weekend, said the judgement was a demonstration that the country is governed by law and commended the court for defending democracy.
He thanked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and maintaining the peace in Rivers.He said: “Let me sincerely on behalf of the 10th Rivers State House of Assembly thank the Court of Appeal for standing by our democracy. Nigeria is governed under democratic tenets.
“What the court did is to reaffirm our faith in this country. We thank the court for the interpretation they had given to some of the matters concerning the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“We must say thank you to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, for what he is doing in this country giving Mr. President the support he deserves and for what he is doing for peace in Rivers State by being the political leader of Rivers”.
The ousted Ikwerre Local Government Chairman Chief Samuel Nwanosike appealed to the Governor and his supporters to obey the judgement insisting that disobeying it would have serious consequences.
He said: “I thank the Almighty God for a day like this. It is obviously stated by the Lordship of the Court of Appeal that we run a constitutional democracy and our laws are sacrosanct. The laws are not ambiguous. They are self-explanatory.
“You can’t put something on nothing and expect it to stand. When the law comes illegality, noisemaking and ethnicity will give way. When the law comes those, who think that governance is a joke will soon realize that governance is a serious business.
“So, we thank our Lordship for strengthening the law and deepening the democracy we are practising. People should realize that it doesn’t have to do with your office. The constitution remains the grund norm. For those who the law did not favour today should understand that disobeying legitimate rules and orders of court has consequences and penalties in the future.
“We want to advise them to obey the law and allow the three arms and tiers of government to function in accordance with the law. The court of appeal voided everything they did from inauguration of Attorney-General, commissioners and caretaker committee chairmen.”
On whether they would return to their offices following the judgement, Nwanosike said: “The law is clear you can’t put something on nothing and expect it to stand. The Martins Amaewhule-led House of Assembly is the authentic House of Assembly and the laws they make for Rivers State must be obeyed by everybody including the governor of Rivers.
“We want to hear from the Rivers State House of Assembly. They will give direction and we will obey them. We have other pending matters in court and we expect those rulings to come because we are law-abiding people”.
