Rivers State House of Assembly Sitting Outside Complex Not Recognized by Law, says Falana

Human rights activist Femi Falana has declared that any sitting by the Rivers State House of Assembly outside its complex is not recognized by law.

Falana made this assertion while discussing the political crisis in Rivers State on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, as monitored by the media.

The Rivers State Governor, Similanayi Fubara, had issued an executive order on Friday for the immediate and temporary relocation of the assembly’s sitting to the Auditorium, Admin Block of the Government House, Port Harcourt, citing the unsafe state of the House of Assembly complex.

However, Falana argued that such a move contradicted the principle of the separation of powers, emphasizing the independence of the legislature from the executive.

He referenced a similar case in Oyo State, where the Supreme Court ruled against the impeachment of Governor Ladoja conducted in a hotel, emphasizing that any sitting of the House outside its complex would not be recognized by law.

Falana insisted that if there was a need for a sitting elsewhere, the members of the House of Assembly, properly constituted, would have to decide where to hold their meeting.