Tension is rising in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, as the Federal High Court has fixed a date to deliver a judgment regarding the alleged defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The lawmakers, led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule, are accused of leaving the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressives Congress (APC), leading to the loss of their seats in the Assembly.
In the case, the Labour Party, which is the applicant, has requested that the court dismiss the defendants’ request for the Supreme Court to uphold their positions. …CONTINUE READING
The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, has announced April 16, 2025, as the date to deliver its verdict on the suit concerning the potential dismissal of a defection suit filed by the Labour Party against the 27 lawmakers in the Rivers state House of Assembly.
The Labour Party is asking the court to declare the seats of the lawmakers vacant over the allegation of their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
During the hearing on Monday, March 17, the defence lawyer and Speaker, Martins Amaewhule asked the court to dismiss the application, citing the Supreme Court judgment.
The defendant also presented the Certified True Copy of the Supreme Court, noting that the apex court has restored the leadership of the Amaewhule assembly. He also noted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who earlier initiated the defection allegation, had withdrawn the suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
On his part, counsel to the Labour Party, Clifford Chukwu submitted that the defection was a ‘collateral matter’ before the Supreme Court, and urged the lower court to dismiss calls to to strike out the matter. He said the evidence of defection was already before the court.
On February 28, the Supreme Court ruled that there was no evidence that the lawmakers had actually defected from the PDP to the APC. It then ruled that the status quo with the state assembly should be maintained.
The Supreme Court also held that the remained members of the house and the state allocation should be seized until the governor represents the appropriation bill before the constitutionally recognised state house of assembly.
Speaking after the court ruling later in the day, Chukwu explained that he had presented his submission and that only the judgment of April 16, 2025, would determine whether the prayers of the defendants would be upheld or not.
The political crisis in Rivers State started barely six months after Governor Fubara took over from Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The two political gladiators are fighting over the control of the state’s political structure. The 27 lawmakers involved in the court case were said to be loyalists of Wike.
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