Rivers crisis now in auto-pilot

…Fear over Supreme Court decision in numerous cases
…NJC hammer on Rivers’ judge sends signals

Rivers State is believed to be on autopilot, now controlled by the sole instinct to survive. This is said to be because so many wrongs have been done and many court orders have been flouted that it may not be possible for any party to act with rational thinking.

Every single action by either the Nyesom Wike camp or the Sim Fubara camp would definitely violate one court order or the other.

Many analysts have listed over seven pending cases, which seem to confound the apex leadership of the judiciary in the country.

As Kudirate Kekere-Ekun, new Chief Justice of the Federation, came into office, she immediately ordered a probe into the Rivers judicial crisis. This may have made the closeness between her and Nyesom Wike, FCT Minister, the principal party in the crisis, to cause huge worry in the Fubara’s camp.

Ekun had intervened allegedly summoned judges involved in issuing conflicting rulings on political cases in the state.

It was said that a panel from the National Judicial Council (NJC) would investigate these judges, with Justice Kekere-Ekun requiring a report to be submitted this week. The panel, led by a former Court of Appeal justice, includes two heads of courts.

The CJN has also summoned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for questioning on Tuesday.

This development follows formal complaints submitted to the Council. It is understood that the CJN personally ordered a comprehensive probe.

Read also: Rivers crisis: Fubara-backed speaker demands by-election to fill seats of 27 defected lawmakers

Bombshell:

The outcome of the probe seems to send shivers down the spines of many.

The NJC has suspended the Justice, G. C. Aguma of High Court of Rivers State from performing judicial functions for a period of one year without pay and also placed him on “Watch-List” for two years. The NJC also hammered judges in some other states, but it cleared Justice Peter Lifu of any wrongdoing, saying he neither exhibited personal interest in the River state matter nor misconducted himself in the proceedings. Allegations of bribery against Justice Lifu not substantiated. This has sent many pro-Fubara members searching for the meaning of the action to know where the CJN seems to lean in the face of outcry that Wike had given houses to federal judges and had played host to Ekun. Wike denied any wrongdoing.

Despite these, Wike followers have continued to celebrate on social media like people who had foreknowledge of what the Supreme Court and the Federal Courts would decide in the many cases.

The Amaechi-backed APC in the state has also pointed to such celebrations wondering if the verdicts were already known.

They said so when the Wike-backed camp announced congresses despite a court verdict that sacked the Caretaker Committee of the APC in the state, but they seem to carry on.

A statement to that effect signed by the Vincent Gbosi, who indicated it as ‘Special Assistant on Media to the Chairman, Caretaker Committee (CTC), All Progressives Congress (APC)’, said the Stakeholders’ of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the 23 LGAs in Rivers State met in PH.

The statement went on: “They met at the State Party Secretariat along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, in preparation for the upcoming State, LGA, and Ward congresses of the party, to elect the officers of the party in the State.

“The meeting afforded party Stakeholders’ who attended the meeting the opportunity to be well briefed about modalities for the conduct of the scheduled congresses which will commence with the Ward Congress on Saturday, November 16, 2024.

“Stakeholders’ of the Rivers APC who attended the meeting expressed delight and total confidence in the leadership of the party under Sir (Chief) Tony C. Okocha, DSSRS, JP, the Leader/Chairman of the APC in Rivers State.

“The Stakeholders’ of the party took turns in commending the managerial acumen, and the inclusive leadership style of the party under Sir (Chief) Tony C. Okocha which according to them has brought life and hope back to the party.

“At the end of the well attended meeting, the party Stakeholders’ committed to a peaceful process in the overall interest of the party.”

Read also: Rivers crisis is ethnic crisis

Reactions:

Darlington Nwauju, the state publicity secretary of the Amaechi-backed (court approved) camp, reacted thus: “Tony Okocha is trampling on the rule of law and he knows it. The very same thing both he and his paymaster has been shouting against others is what they have been dancing naked doing. The worry is not just that we all can see liars masquerading as democrats but it is worse that these liars are also hypocrites.

“We are aware they have filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, yet they do not have confidence or maybe should we say they are over confident with whatever the outcome will be or like hypocritical seers, they are now telling Nigerians that the blindfold on the Lady Justice has truly been removed.

“Democracy is hinged on the rule of law. We cannot set new rules in the middle of the game.

“This same APC in Rivers in 2018, went ahead against the order of court to conduct a Congress and the consequences became fatal in 2019 when a party with government at the center could not field candidates at all levels in the state for the first time in the history of democracy in Nigeria.

“Good students of history choose to learn from the past rather than allow history repeat itself.

“Participating in a Congress today will amount to spitting on the judgment of Justice Sika Aprioku.”

Conclusion:

Both camps believe that what would happen in the state from the apex court may totally destroy one camp and enthrone the other. The wailing may be uncontrollable while the jubilation would reach the heavens and back.