Elderstates man and leader of the Ijaw nation Edwin Clark has reacted to the Supreme Court judgement that affirmed Siminalaye Fubara as duly elected Governor of Rivers State.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday he said his joy knows no bound to hear that the Governor has been affirmed.
“I could not sleep on Wednesday even with my sleeping medicines when it was announced that the judgment on Rivers State Governor election will be on Thursday, we thank God for the judgment and victory, I had expected it to be this way.
“You can imagine my joy, many years ago some of us practicing Lawyers we almost lost confidence in the Judiciary as the cases were going but I always believe that once there is a good leadership in the Supreme Court.
“Our Supreme Court is one of the best in the World.
“Cases of interference and so on. There may be some but they are not many, they are very few. So last night when it was announced that Rivers State Supreme Court judgement would be given today, I tried to sleep but couldn’t. And I took my normal sleeping tablets I couldn’t, then I knew something was worrying me.
“So this morning I stayed in bed waiting for the judgement to be announced. 10am there was nothing but not long after that, they said Tonye Cole petition has been dismissed for lack of evidence so I jumped up and shouted Halleluia but I knew he was going to win because almost every petitioner had withdrawn his case except the APC candidate chief Toye Cole.
“It was not easy to convince him, he was thinking he could win but God makes governors, God makes Presidents. God has made Fubara the Governor of Rivers State for the first four years and he will be re elected for his second term to complete his 8years.
“He has won, Nigerians like him, I listened to all commentries, even though he knew that it was unconstitutional going against the voice of the people and court process in order to brocker peace, he made series of sacrifices which he should not have made.
“He took an oath to keep the constitution of Nigeria
However, it is all over now. The 27 members of the Rivers state House of Assembly who lost their their seats when they moved to APC, their seats remain vacant until INEC conducts another set of elections and if they want go and face it they would be defeated because they are not sincere, they are not patriotic, they are not original in their minds.
“27 persons being pushed around by an individual, what a shame.
It is unconstitutional because a Governor cannot sign a budget and go to represent that budget before people who have been disqualified as members of the House.
In another statement he personally signed he said,
“With a grateful heart to God Almighty, and on behalf of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), I congratulate His Excellency, Siminalaye Fubara, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, on his victory at the Supreme Court today, 25th January, 2024.
“Now that all legal tussles are settled, it is my prayer and hope, that the Governor Fubara will settle down to carry out the task of governance in Rivers State, which the people has elected him to. I implore him to extend the olive branch to all opponents.
“On a lighter note, with full authority now to sign with the red pen, I sincerely hope that he will not disappoint his supporters, all who stood for him and all Rivers State people; that he will also bring together every one, for the good and best interest of the State.
“May the good Lord bless him and give him the courage and understanding he will need to perform his duties to the satisfaction of the people of Rivers State and indeed to Nigerians.
In the same vein, he also congratulate Agbu Kefas, the Executive Governor of Taraba State, on his victory at the Supreme Court, today”