Constituents of Obio/Akpor State Constituency of Rivers State have written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requesting the recall of Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
A letter by a lawyer, Kenneth Amadi, representing the constituents shows that recall proceedings against Amaewhule have begun.
The letter, dated March 7, 2025, was addressed to the Rivers State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner with the title, “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.” A stamp on the letter’s acknowledgment copy shows that the INEC office received it on March 11, 2025.
Amadi argued that the recall request is legally valid under the Freedom of Information Act, the 1999 Constitution, and the Electoral Act. He cited Section 69, which empowers INEC to conduct recall proceedings if more than 50% of registered voters in a constituency lose confidence in their representative.
The letter listed multiple reasons for Amaewhule’s recall, including his defection to the APC, failure to provide effective representation, involvement in illegal impeachment activities, disobedience to Supreme Court orders, and misuse of legislative powers to interfere in governance matters. It also accused him of neglecting his campaign promises, such as developing agriculture and aquaculture farms for youth in his constituency.
The letter warned that if INEC fails to release the requested voter register within seven days, legal action will be taken to enforce the constituents’ rights.
Speaking further, Amadi accused Amaewhule of repeatedly violating court orders since his reinstatement as Speaker. He claimed that legislative work had stalled under Amaewhule’s leadership, with the Assembly focusing only on attacking the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).
“In the days immediately after the Supreme Court judgment of February 28, 2025, Amaewhule issued several ultimatums against the Chairman of RSIEC and even obtained a bench warrant for the arrest of the chairman and commissioners,” Amadi said. “This is despite a valid court injunction preventing any action against the RSIEC Chairman until a pending lawsuit is resolved.”
He added, “The Assembly’s only activity since resumption has been fighting RSIEC. There are no reports of bills being debated, constituency projects, or oversight functions. This raises serious concerns about the Speaker’s priorities.”
The political crisis in Rivers State escalated further on March 12, 2025, when Governor Fubara was denied access to the Assembly complex to present the 2025 budget, as ordered by the Supreme Court.
Despite notifying Amaewhule in a letter dated March 11, 2025, that he would present the budget the following day, Fubara and his officials found the Assembly gates locked. Unable to gain entry, the governor left without presenting the budget, worsening the political standoff.
There has been an unending political crisis in Rivers State, which started after Governor Siminalayi Fubara fell out with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
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