Rivers State Governor-Elect, Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has decried the use of the office of the Attorney General of Rivers State by outgoing Governor, Rotimi Amaechi to file a suit for Rivers State All Progressives Congress ( APC ) to stop his inauguration.
Addressing members of the inauguration and transition committees on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Barrister Wike announced that the Federal High Court in Owerri has struck out the suit filed by Attorney General of Rivers State and the Rivers APC.
He informed that credible information available to him indicates that Governor Amaechi paid out N300m to some lawyers out of an agreed N300m for the procurement of the illegal order which has failed.
Barrister Wike noted that the state became bankrupt because of the outgoing governor’s fixation on stopping his inauguration and his siphoning of government funds to shop for unconstitutional court orders.
He said it was unfortunate that outgoing governor, Rotimi Amaechi would desecrate the office of the Attorney General of Rivers State and enmesh it in illegal political manoeuvres.
He said : “ Amaechi has boasted that he has looted all the funds and he is threatening that if Buhari is sworn in he will deal with him and the policemen and soldier.
“That tells you the kind of man you are dealing with. This is just to inform those who you are not informed about his antics, so that you will be encouraged in the face his needless provocation”.
He commended the judiciary for always living above the treacherous antics of politicians like Amaechi who survive on name dropping and use of corrupt means to negatively influence due process.
It would be recalled that Governor Amaechi had earlier approached an Awka High Court to procure an injunction to stop Barrister Wike’s inauguration.
The joint meeting of the Transition and Inauguration Committees was convened to conclude preparations for the inauguration of the governor-elect, Barrister Wike and his deputy, Dr. Mrs Ipalibo Banigo.
Meanwhile following a constitutional crisis in Rivers State, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), has drafted the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to inaugurate the Governor-elect of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike, on May 29.
He said where there is vacuum in the Office of the Chief Judge of Rivers State or the Office of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, the constitution empowers any person to administer an oath of office on a Governor-elect.
The AGF made the announcement in a statement in Abuja against the backdrop of the constitutional challenge in Rivers State.
The statement said: “It will be recalled that Barr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, was declared the Governor-Elect of Rivers State following the Gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly Elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on 11th April 2015.
“It is therefore expected that he will be sworn into Office on 29th May 2015 in accordance with the provisions of section 185(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
“It is however, pertinent to draw public attention to the existing vacuum in the Office of the Chief Judge of Rivers State, as well as, the Office of the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Rivers State which has made strict compliance with the requirements of section 185(1) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, virtually impossible.
“In order to avert a likely constitutional crisis in Rivers State on 29th May 2015 when the Governor-Elect, is expected to be sworn-in as Governor of Rivers State, I have requested the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to administer the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the Governor-Elect of Rivers State in accordance with section 185(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, which provides as follows:
“The Oath of Allegiance and the oath of Office shall be administered by the Chief Judge of the State or Grand Khadi of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the State, if any, or President of the Customary Court of Appeal of the State, if any, or the person for the time being respectively appointed to exercise the functions of any of those offices in any State.”
“The general public particularly the Government and People of Rivers State are hereby invited to take note of this development and appreciate the fact that the invitation extended to the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to administer the Oath of Allegiance and Oath of Office on the Governor-Elect of Rivers State on 29th of May 2015 is in accordance with the Constitution and should therefore be respected by all and sundry.”
