Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has insisted that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress have forfeited their positions in the legislative body.

Twenty five lawmakers loyal to the former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had switched to the APC amid the political deadlock between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Falana asserted that the lawmakers would be ousted from their seats for transitioning to the APC.

Seun Okin: Who is the real Speaker?, and from the point of the view of the law, what is your assessment, Mr Falana?

Femi Falana SAN: I think the matter is already in Court. I think a couple of days ago, the High Court sitting in Port Harcourt granted another injunction restraining the 25 lawmakers from parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the grounds that they have decamped and thereby for now, forefeited their rights to be legislators.

I also think what will be required of them is to go the Court to join issues. Before now, they were threatening impeachment, of course the Governor was likely to have challenged their locus standi to begin impeachment since there is a law that they have lost their seats.

Frankly speaking, I think they were not properly guided or advised that unless they can show or demonstrate that there is a division in a political party that sponsors your election, you cannot remain in any legislative house if you decamp or cross over to another Party. Because the whole idea is that the Constitution set out to ban or prohibit political prostitution on the part of legislators In Nigeria so as of today, there is a Court order restraining I think 25 of them from parading themselves as legislators in that State and the Speaker from parading himself as such.

That is the law as of today.

So I do hope that those of them who are affected by the order will like to urge the Court to have another look at the case but however, it may be very difficult to persuade the Court to allow them to remain in the legislative house unless they are prepared to go back to the people and have their mandate renewed by the people.

So that is the position of the law nd the Supreme Court has made this clear in the case of Ifedayo Abegunde and Labour Party. You cannot on your own decide that there is a division in the Party and it doesn't mean a division in the Local Government or in a State, it has to be an issue down the line, at the National level.

INEC please do the needful, though I know Wike's men will still win the election.

Those lawmakers seize to be members of the Rivers State House of Assembly right from the day their seats were declared vacant, followed by a judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction, the High Court in Port Harcourt, which has since barred them from gaining access to the Assembly complex under any guise or form.

Wike is merely leading them on and giving them false hope when they are already in a hopeless situation. 

INEC, on the other hand, is expected to conduct by-elections into those vacant seats so that the people of those state constituencies can have some representatives at the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Nigeria is a lawless country because of judicial bandits.
And the idiots want to impeach Fubara.

Splashme:
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has insisted that members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress have forfeited their positions in the legislative body.

Twenty five lawmakers loyal to the former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had switched to the APC amid the political deadlock between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Falana asserted that the lawmakers would be ousted from their seats for transitioning to the APC.

yes, what mr Femi falana said here is very true

In the eyes of the law, there are just four members in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The 25 other members that voluntarily left their party were misguided. They've lost their seats according to the law.
— Femi Falana, SAN.
😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎😎

Did Ifeanyi Uba lose his seat when he left YPP to APC?, did Enugu lawmakers lose their seats when they left LP to PDP?, how about Saraki, Dogara, too numerous to mention. My friend, keep shut and let the court decide, slave boy of Abuja Landlord.

It is a testament to Wike's lack of political sagacity and his belief in the rule of might over the rule of law that he made such an unforced error.
How lucky Fubara is!!
Just imagine if Wike had been calm and strategic enough to not make that blunder of defection. Probably, SIM will be out of the seat by now.
Wike forgot that Tinubu owes him nothing and can't fight his personal war for him using the presidency. The highest you can get is having the instrument of coercion on your side and that is proving to not be enough now.

TruthsFM:
In the eyes of the law, there are just four members in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The 25 other members that voluntarily left their party were misguided. They've lost their seats according to the law.
— Femi Falana, SAN.

Shebi femi falana na judge?. The mumu four members have been suspended even before the 27members defected to APC. The Clerk of Rivers assembly did not recognize the four members, let's see how they wan win in court.

Simple!

Nyesom Wike and his hoarde of lawless comrades will never get sense.

It's an obvious truth

Thanks Prof Falana, don't be surprised when miscreants of that dipso in Abuja calls you a nonentity...




Sane Nigerians know what's right and are fully behind Fubara.

Dem don pay you Abi?,so by law 3 lawmakers can take over the state assembly…make una Dey play

PHIPEX:
If you and your team willingly resign your job, the company will.move on and place a new vacancy advert. Pure and simple.

In the eye of the law, they all willingly resigned from their jobs.

who employed them in this case?,did they resign as lawmakers or they decamped.Oga use your brain.interest of 25 lawmakers superseded that of 3 lawmakers as far as the state is concerned.they can prove at the court that it is in the interest of their state and the court will uphold it.

Exactly!

Seriously when was the last time anyone heard news about YOBE state or JIGAWA.?

Noted.

Aboki iron condemm don steal their chair

These people don't learn. Was this not the same thing that happened in Edo state. Loyalty unto foolishness. One man will want to control a whole state. Wike is reaping what he did to Ameachi. If fubara too decides to play God after his tenure. He should expect same. Godfatherism will die a natural death. Selfish people everywhere!

Ok na....politicians be doing anyhow

Wike has single handedly brought anarchy to rivers state and this will be his undoing ... Let him continue to dey zuzu

🤔

oka

Gbam!

It’s obvious

It’s even morally wrong and reprehensible for someone to abandon the party that expended resources to sponsor them to election.


INEC should move fast to conduct elections to fill these seats because 25 seats vacant are too many

Putindbutt:
Did Ifeanyi Uba lose his seat when he left YPP to APC?, did Enugu lawmakers lose their seats when they left LP to PDP?, how about Saraki, Dogara, too numerous to mention. My friend, keep shut and let the court decide, slave boy of Abuja Landlord.

Ogbeni calm down your BP dey rise over this matter, you are not from Rivers State and you dey drink overdose Panadol over their headache.

Nobody went to court to challenge their decampment unlike in Rivers where a court of competent jurisdiction has ruled against them

Righthussle:
INEC please do the needful, though I know Wike's men will still win the election.

Remember rivers is pdp while wike men are now apc. It will be a miracle for one among them to win , talkless of all. The pdp members in their various constituencies are already warming up to contest. I wonder what the inec is waiting for

Hmmmm!


Sincerely speaking I humbly doubt if most APC supporters will make it to 2027 because of how they are dying.

Some are dying where they are sharing rice in Lagos.

Others are dying because of stamped during looting of foodstuffs from moving lorry.

Most are dying because of hardship.

Funny enough they keep talking about 2027,

ARE THEY GOING TO VOTE IN 2027 FROM THE GRAVE?


This people are the most funny people created by God sincerely speaking.

Foolish lawbreakers that are loyal to a drunkard.

Kukutente23:
It is a testament to Wike's lack of political sagacity and his belief in the rule of might over the rule of law that he made such an unforced error.
How lucky Fubara is!!
Just imagine if Wike had been calm and strategic enough to not make that blunder of defection. Probably, SIM will be out of the seat by now.
Wike forgot that Tinubu owes him nothing and can't fight his personal war for him using the presidency. The highest you can get is having the instrument of coercion on your side and that is proving to not be enough now.

he should try not to lose 2027 election in rivers state.

I do not understand how the law works. I've seen Governors switch party and still remain on their seats, Senators and Rep members switch party and still retain their seats. Can Lawyers in the house kindly explain the difference in this case