A High Court in Port Harcourt has ordered an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the Rivers State House of Assembly’s 27 members, led by Martin Amaewhule, from acting as lawmakers.
Justice Charles Wali of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt division, granted the order in a suit dated PHC/1512/CS/2024.
The plaintiffs in the suit were Victor Oko Jumbo and two other lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, while the defendants are Martin Amaewhule and 24 other Assembly members who had defected to the APC. The list also includes Governor Fubara, the State’s Attorney General, and the Chief Judge.
Justice Wali granted the interlocutory injunction, issuing the following order:
“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 immediate effect from December 13, 2023, pending the hearing and resolution of the substantive suit.
The case has been adjourned to July 1, 2024 for mention.
