A High Court in Port Harcourt has ordered the seats of 25 lawmakers, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), to be vacated pending the resolution of an ongoing suit.
Justice Charles Wali issued this ruling in Suit No PHC/1512/CS/2024, filed by Victor Jumbo, the Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly, alongside Sokari Sokari and Orubienimigha Timothy, addressing the current turmoil within the state Assembly.
The court ordered Martin Amaewhule, the factional speaker, to stop presenting himself as the speaker of the assembly. Additionally, the court barred the 24 defected lawmakers from functioning as members of the Assembly.
The order specified, “An Interlocutory Injunction is granted restraining the first to 25th defendants from parading themselves as members of the Rivers House of Assembly and/or meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at Aba Road, Port Harcourt. Their legislative seats are hereby declared vacant pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
Furthermore, the court issued an injunction “restraining the 26th to 28th defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills, and/or interacting with the first to 25th defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Their legislative seats have been declared vacant effective from December 13, 2023, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
The case has been adjourned to July 1, 2024, for further mention.
