Assembly Crisis: Court adjourns case pending Supreme Court judgement

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow us

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, under the leadership of Justice Emmanuel Obile, has postponed proceedings to April 30, 2025, for the submission of final written addresses by legal counsels in a case that seeks judicial clarification on the status of Martin Amaewhule and 26 others as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The case was initiated by Victor Oko-Jumbo, Sokari Goodboy, and another lawmaker aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, questioning the legitimacy of Amaewhule and his colleagues as Speaker and members of the Assembly following their defection.

The 27 lawmakers are accused of defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), amid the ongoing political tensions in the state.

However, Amaewhule and the other pro-Wike lawmakers have denied the allegations of defection.

It was stated that when the case resumed on Monday, Justice Obile announced that the court would await the decision on related cases pending before the Supreme Court, highlighting that the Federal High Court cannot share jurisdiction with the apex court.

The Rivers State House of Assembly has been divided since October 30, 2023, following a failed attempt to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Amaewhule-led Assembly has provided multiple reasons for seeking to impeach Fubara, including allegations of mismanagement of funds and a supposed disregard for the State Assembly.

The pro-Wike lawmakers have also accused the pro-Fubara group, led by Oko-Jumbo, of being responsible for the explosion that occurred at the State Assembly complex on October 29, 2023.

The ongoing crisis in both the State Assembly and the broader political landscape in Rivers State stems from a power struggle between Governor Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Despite President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in December 2023, which resulted in an eight-point resolution being signed by both parties, the situation has deteriorated further.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.