A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued an interlocutory injunction barring the lawmakers led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule from sitting and parading themselves as members of the state House of Assembly.
Justice C.N. Wali presided over the case filed by pro-Governor Siminilayi Fubara lawmakers, led by their Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and two others, Sokari Goodboy and Orubienimigha Timothy.
The suit listed 25 lawmakers as 1st to 25th defendants and included the Rivers Governor, the Attorney-General, and the Chief Judge of the state as 26th to 28th defendants.
Previously, on May 10, the court granted a similar order on a motion ex-parte, preventing the governor, the attorney-general, and the Chief Judge from interacting with the affected lawmakers.
Granting the interlocutory injunction on May 29th, the court adjourned the case for mention to July 1st, 2024.
The court stated, “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 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.”
Additionally, the court ordered, “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”.