By Our Reporter
The State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, seated in Port Harcourt, has announced the seats of 25 lawmakers vacant following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). This decision remains pending until the court reaches a verdict on the ongoing suit.
It also issued an interlocutory injunction preventing lawmakers under the leadership of Speaker Martins Amaewhule from convening and representing themselves as members of the state House of Assembly.
Presided over by Justice C.N. Wali, the court granted the order in response to a suit filed by pro-Governor Siminilayi Fubara lawmakers, led by their Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, alongside Sokari Goodboy and Orubienimigha Timothy.
The lawsuit named 25 lawmakers as the 1st to 25th defendants, with the Rivers Governor, the Attorney-General, and the Chief Judge of the state listed as the 26th to 28th defendants.
Previously, on May 10th, the court had granted a similar order via a motion ex-parte, restraining the governor, the attorney-general, and the Chief Judge from engaging with the affected lawmakers.
The court, in granting the interlocutory injunction on May 29th, scheduled the next mention of the case for July 1st, 2024.
The court said: “An order of interlocutory injunction is granted restraining the 1st to 25th defendants from parading and holding out themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and/or meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at off Aba Road Port Harcourt or at any other place whatsoever to purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit
“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining the 26th to 28th defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or however interacting with the 1st to 25th defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly their legislative seats having been declared vacant with effect from 13th December, 2023 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit”.