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In order to start recall proceedings against Martin Amaewhule, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, attorney Kenneth Amadi has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC.

This is the most recent episode in Rivers State’s long-running political turmoil, which started when Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the current minister of the Federal Capital Territory, had a falling out.

Following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), MPs loyal to Fubara declared Amaewhule’s seat and the seats of 26 other pro-Wike Assembly members empty.

Consequently, Fubara collaborated with the three-man faction of the Assembly led by Victor Oko-Jumbo.

The Oko-Jumbo group was shown the budget by Fubara, and they also approved the governor’s nominations for commissioners and other appointments.

But after Amaewhule and the other 26 repudiated their defection, the Supreme Court ordered them to return to their seats right away in a ruling on February 28, 2025.

The governor, led by Amaewhule, was also mandated by the supreme court to represent the 2025 budget to the State Assembly.

In the meantime, a letter that ZINGTIE was able to receive on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, indicated that steps had been taken to recall Amaewhule from the Assembly.

“Pre-Action Notice: Request made pursuant to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, and Freedom of Information Act, 2011, for a certified true copy of the verified voter register for Obio/Akpor Federal/State Constituency, Rivers State as preliminary steps towards the recall of Martins Amaewhule, the legislator representing Obio/Akpor State Constituency at the Rivers State House of Assembly,” read the letter, which was dated March 7, 2025, and addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Rivers State.

A stamp on the letter’s acknowledgement copy indicated that the INEC office had received it on March 11, 2025.

In the letter, the attorney, Amadi, clarified that he represents a number of indigenous people in the Amaewhule constituency of Rivers State’s Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

He went on to say that the request complies with the FOI Act of 2011, Sections 69 and 110 of the 1999 Constitution, and Section 116 of the Electoral Act of 2010 (as amended), which gives INEC the authority to hold recall elections against members of the FCT’s Area Council, National Assembly, or State Assembly, “upon the receipt of a valid petition alleging a loss of confidence in the member by more than 50% of voters registered to vote in that member’s constituency”.

Parts of the letter read, “I write in my capacity as a lawyer to several indigenes of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State who are desirous of initiating a recall of Martins Amaewhule for the following reasons:

“Defection from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress in December 2023.

“Failure to provide effective representation for the majority of the public interests of constituents, instead focusing on his own personal interests and the interests of his political godfather.

“Consistent involvement in undemocratic, illegal and violent impeachment activities since the year 2013 when he moved the motion for impeachment of a duly and legally appointed Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

“Disobedience to the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria delivered on 28th February 2025 which directed all parties to await the final determination of the legal status of Amaewhule and 26 other law-makers of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected in December 2023.

“Illegal usurpation of the duties of His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State by amendment of certain laws of Rivers State to confer upon himself the powers to extend the tenure of Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Rivers State and appointment of Commissioners of the Rivers State House of Assembly Service Commission (just to mention a few).

“Failure to fulfill his campaign promises to build agriculture and aquaculture farms for youths of Obio/Akpor State constituency, just to mention a few.

“Failure to publish and comply with a legislative agenda of the Rivers State House of Assembly as is the legislative practice of the National Assembly.”

The letter threatened to take legal action to enforce the residents’ legal rights if the requested CTC of the voter register was not made available within seven days.

Amadi went on to claim that since Amaewhule was reinstated as the Assembly’s speaker, he had consistently disregarded court orders.

The attorney went on to say that because the Amaewhule-led Assembly is primarily concerned in opposing the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, or RSIEC, legislative activity has stalled.

“In the days immediately after the Supreme Court of Nigeria judgment of 28th February 2025, Amaewhule has issued several ultimatums against the Chairman of RSIEC and more recently a bench warrant for the arrest of the chairman and commissioners of the RSIEC.

“This is in spite of a valid injunction of a High Court of Rivers State that prevents Amaewhule and the Rivers State House of Assembly from doing anything against the said Chairman of the RSIEC pending the hearing of the ongoing lawsuit that the said chairman of the RSIEC filed against Amaewhule and his 26 lawmakers,” he said.

Amadi added that the “uncommon and exuberant zeal that Amaewhule and his 26 lawmakers are expending upon the RISEC alone since their resumption since after 28th February 2025 raises a lot of suspicion and worry”.

“This is because it appears that the entire business of lawmaking of the Rivers State House of Assembly has come to a standstill, there is no mention of any other activities such as Bills that undergo first or second reading, there is no mention of constituency projects or visits to constituencies, and certainly no mention of oversight functions.

“The only activity that we hear and read about as the function of the Rivers State House of Assembly is ultimatums and bench warrant for the arrest of the Chairman and Commissioners of the RISEC,” he further observed.

According to report, the Supreme Court’s judgment prohibiting Governor Sim Fubara from entering the Assembly quarters to deliver the 2025 budget to the members further intensified the political situation in Rivers State on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

The gates of the Assembly quarters were locked when Fubara and other government officials arrived for the function, even though he had forwarded a letter to Speaker Amaewhule on March 11, 2025, informing the lawmakers of the governor’s plan to present the budget on March 12, 2025.

Another deadlock in the already lengthy political situation resulted from the governor’s departure without submitting the budget.

Following the encounter, Fubara claimed that Amaewhule had purposefully avoided him.

He stated that despite his repeated calls, the Speaker would not respond.

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