A High Court in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has issued an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining 27 members of the state House of Assembly, from parading themselves as lawmakers.
The members, who are loyal to former governor of the state, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, are led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
The order was issued by Justice Charles Wali of the state High Court, Port Harcourt division in a suit marked PHC/1512/CS/2024.
The suit, with Hon. Victor Oko Jumbo and the two other lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara as plaintiffs, had Amaewhule and 24 other members of the Assembly who said they had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress listed, as defendants. Fubara, the state’s Attorney General, and the Chief Judge were also listed.
Granting the interlocutory injunction, Justice Wali issued an order as follows: “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 Old Aba Road, Port Harcourt or 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 at this moment made restraining the 26th to the 28th defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or howsoever, interacting with the 1st to 25th defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
“Their legislative seats have also been declared vacant with effect from 131h December, 2023 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
“That case has been adjourned to 1 July, 2024 for mention”.
