Pro-Wike Rivers Lawmakers Given One-Week Ultimatum To Vacate Legislative Quarters

• A civil group issued a seven-day ultimatum for 26 Rivers lawmakers to vacate.
• The lawmakers allegedly lost their seats after defecting from PDP to APC.
• The group threatens legal action if Governor Fubara fails to evict them.

A civil society group, Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership (ITSGL), has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to evict Martin Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers from the official legislative quarters in Port Harcourt.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Speaking at a press briefing, ITSGL President General, Chizy Enyi, argued that the lawmakers, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), have lost their seats and no longer have the right to occupy state-owned residences. He insisted that their continued stay in the quarters built under former Governor Nyesom Wike is unlawful, adding that Governor Fubara must act swiftly to enforce their eviction.

Enyi cited Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, stating that the lawmakers lost their legitimacy as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly immediately after switching parties on December 11, 2023. He further argued that their recent legal actions against the Rivers State Government and the National Assembly do not validate their continued occupation of the quarters.

“The case before Justice Omotosho was not about their legitimacy as lawmakers. If it were, the National Assembly wouldn’t have been involved in the suit. As such, these individuals can no longer claim to be members of the Assembly,” Enyi stated.

He accused Governor Fubara of failing to act against the former lawmakers, many of whom remain loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

“As members of the Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, we are deeply concerned that the Rivers State Government has allowed these individuals to continue occupying legislative properties. If the illegal occupants are not evicted within a week, we will take legal action against the state government,” Enyi warned.

Rivers Lawmakers Given One-Week Ultimatum To Vacate Legislative Quarters

The development comes amid rising political tensions in Rivers State, with the battle for control between Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, leading to multiple disputes over the legitimacy of lawmakers and governance structures.

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