Court bars 27 Rivers Assembly members from acting as lawmakers

In a significant legal development, the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt division, has issued an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the 27-member Martin Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly from acting as lawmakers.

The order, handed down by Justice Charles Wali in a suit marked PHC/1512/CS/2024, came in response to a case involving Victor Oko Jumbo and two other lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as plaintiffs, against Martin Amaewhule and 24 other Assembly members who had defected to the APC.

Granting the interlocutory injunction, Justice Wali made the following rulings:

The first to twenty-fifth defendants are barred from presenting themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly or conducting legislative business at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at Old Aba Road, Port Harcourt, pending the hearing of the substantive suit.

The twenty-sixth to twenty-eighth defendants are prohibited from engaging with the aforementioned defendants in any official capacity.

Furthermore, the legislative seats of the defendants have been declared vacant with effect from December 13th, 2023, until the resolution of the substantive suit.

The case is scheduled for mention on July 1st, 2024.