Embattled 27 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Terrority, FCT, Nyesom Wike, have been referred to as toothless bulldogs that can bark but cannot bite.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications in the state, Joseph Johnson, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba and the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Rivers State Chapter, Ihunwo Chijioke alluded to them as such while responding to calls by the factional Caretaker Committee Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers state chapter, Mr. Tony Okocha, urging members of the House of Assembly to impeach Governor Similaye Fubara.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, on Wednesday, the PDP national publicity Secretary, noted that the lawmakers being called to carry out what is obviously an illegal act are unknown to the law because they had since ceased to be lawmakers having forfeited their seat on account of their decision to resign their membership of the PDP a platform on which they were elected.
He advised the APC to perish the thought of a forceful takeover of Rivers State.
On his part, the Rivers State commissioner for Information said the lawmakers lacked the locus standi to impeach the governor.
He further said Okocha lacked the morality to talk about the state government, noting that Okocha was not a legitimate member of the APC.
He warned them against embarking on such a venture, stressing that any attempt to impeach the governor will be resisted by the Rivers people.
His words; “It is not going to be an easy journey. They should not imagine embarking on it because Rivers people will resist them. Rivers people will resist them because it is even baseless to think of it. They are not fighting with legitimacy; they are only fighting for their own survival. On what plank will you put that? The law says you can’t put legality on illegality.
“As far as we are concerned, they do not even have the locus standi to do that. They should not even bother to start it because Section 109(g) has settled the case. It says if an Assembly member defects from his own party that brought him to power, you automatically lose his seat. They have done that, and it is settled. Our Constitution is the grand norm.
“The court, the Supreme Court, is there to look at these elementary issues. There is also a subsisting judgement on this, so we don’t need a second opinion on whether we should respect them as Assembly members or not. The Supreme Court has already declared those seats vacant.
“Tony Okocha was just yesterday declared as not being a member of APC by a former chairman of the party, Sokonte Davies. He is a factional chairman. We want the faction led by Chief Emeka Beke to say the same thing. Okocha is standing on one leg. His call is an empty call. His advice to impeach the governor is a journey that leads nowhere, and they will not succeed. The lawmakers are not existent, and they are not seen in law.”
On his own part, the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria said that the lawmakers cannot impeach the governor.
He vowed that Rivers Youths will resist them.
