Mr. Celestine Omehia has lost his position as a former governor of Rivers State because he opposes with Governor Nyesom Wike's political stances and does not back his campaign to depose the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This occurred at the same time as the Rivers State Government yesterday withdrew the criminal complaint brought against Tonye Cole, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for governor of the state's 2023 elections, Rotimi Amaechi, and five other individuals.
The Rivers State House of Assembly, ostensibly acting on Wike's order, opted to renounce Omehia's victory, which the Supreme Court had awarded to Amaechi six months earlier in 2007.
Amaechi, who won the primary but was denied the ticket because the court had determined that the victory belonged to the party and not to an individual, took office as governor after the formal ruling.
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Omehia is currently one of Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president and PDP presidential contender who defeated Wike in the party's primary elections.
However, in addition to receiving N96,520,359.40 as monthly pension payments till September 2022, the state Assembly also ordered Omehia to restore all money, including the sum of N600 million as perks.
The House Leader, Martin Amaewhule, representing Obio/Akpor Constituency I, presented the motion to, “Rescind the Rivers State House of Assembly Resolution on the Recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as former governor of Rivers State and the restoration of all benefits and entitlements due to him.”
Presenting the motion addressed to the Speaker and members of the House yesterday, Amaewhule recalled that on June 30, 2015, a motion was moved, seconded and argued upon and a resolution was passed in favour of recognition of Omehia as former governor of the state and the restoration of his privileges and entitlements.
Amaewhule who is a close ally of Wike said that based on the resolution of the House, the Rivers State government through an instrument published in the Official Gazette of the state, No. 5, Volume 52, of March 2016, under Wike, had recognised Omehia as a former governor and restored all the privileges and entitlements accruing to the former Rivers governor.
The House Leader stated: “Pursuant to the official recognition, Sir Celestine Omehia received a lot in financial benefits and entitlements from the Rivers State Government including the sum of N600,000,000.00 only as benefits, in addition to receipt of a total sum of N96,520,359.40 only, as monthly pensions as September 2022.”
Amaewhule recalled that the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the case of Amaechi versus INEC and two others in 2008, had declared that the appellant (Chibuike Amaechi) was the actual or valid governorship candidate of the PDP in Rivers State for the 2007 general election and not Omehia, who contested the election.
He further said the Supreme Court also held that “in the eyes of the law, Omehia was never a candidate in the election much less a winner.”
Amaewhule stated that being mindful of the position of the apex court on the subject matter and in line with Section 287 (I) of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides that, “the decisions of the Supreme Court shall be enforced in any part of the Federation by all authorities and persons, and by, courts and subordinate jurisdiction to that of the Supreme Court.”
He said the continued recognition of Omehia as former governor of the state and the continued granting of privileges and entitlements accruing to all former governors of the state to him (Omehia) was not in tandem with the highlighted pronouncement of the apex court and the provisions of the 1999 constitution.
Amaewhule called on Wike to stop recognising Omehia as the former governor of Rivers State and also terminate all privileges, benefits and entitlements accruing to all former governors which were also extended to him (Omehia).
He also urged the House to direct Omehia to stop using the title, “His Excellency” and the suffix “Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS),” which pertains to only governors and former governors of the state.
The leader also urged the House to direct Omehia to refund all the monies paid to him by the state government as benefits and entitlements, to the treasury of the state government within seven days from the date of the resolution of the House.
In an instant debate, all the lawmakers who made contributions, including the representative of Celestine Omehia’s constituency in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Anselm Oguguo agreed to the prayers.
Some of the lawmakers, however, requested that a specific decision be made on what action to be taken if Omehia fails to refund the monetary benefits.
After the debate, all 21 members present at the plenary voted in support of the four prayers by the leader of the House.
The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said the house was right in taking the decision because no law was absolute. Meanwhile, Wike has agreed to sign the approved motion by the Assembly cancelling the recognition of Omehia as a former governor.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, Wike announced that he would assent to the letter on Friday (today) at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
According to Ebiri: “His Excellency Nyesom Wike, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, is to sign the instrument on cancellation of the recognition of Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor of Rivers State.
“The cancellation of the recognition is in sequence to the resolution of the Rivers State House of Assembly adopted on Thursday, 6th October 2022 to derecognise Sir Celestine Omehia as a former governor of the state.
“The signing will take place in Government House, Port Harcourt on Friday, 7th October 2022 by 12 noon’, he added.
In the meantime, Rivers State Government has withdrawn the criminal suit filed against Amaechi, Cole and five others. The state government had filed the suit accusing the defendants of selling government assets running into several billions of naira during Amaechi’s tenure as the state governor.
The matter which resumed for ruling could not continue as counsel for the State Government and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zaccheus Adangor informed the court that he was withdrawing the suit.
Reacting, lawyers for APC, Amaechi and Cole argued that withdrawing the suit was an abuse of the court process and prayed the court to dismiss the criminal charges if the suit must be withdrawn.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam after hearing the arguments of the parties in the matter, struck out the suit and the charges against the APC and others.
One of the defence lawyers, Achinike Wobodo who spoke with journalists on the development, said they were ready to face the state government whenever there was a fresh charge against their clients.
Wobodo said, “As it stands today, there is no charge against anybody in any court. We do not intend to prevent whether they want to file any other charge or not.“Taking one thing at a time, if they bring any other charge, we will also challenge them.
“We have said to Rivers people, these are just antics to paint these gentlemen in a bad light,” he said.