The Rivers State High Court has declared 25 Rivers State House of Assembly seats vacant.
The court also issued a temporary order stopping the Speaker of the State Assembly loyal to Wike, Martin Amaewhule, to stop parading themselves as Assembly members.
The court, presided over by Justice Charles N. Wali, added that the status of their legislative seats would be determined by the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
Justice Wali, who gave the order yesterday, in a case with suit number PHC/1512/CS/2024, also ordered that the 25 defendants from “meeting/sitting at the auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at Off-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 Motion on Notice”.
“It is further Ordered that this Order, the Motion on Notice and the writ and other processes, in this case, be served on the 1st to 25th defendants/respondents within seven (7) days from date by substituted means to wit: by pasting at the entrance gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly Legislative Quarters, Off-Aba Road, Port Harcourt and for such service to be deemed good and proper”.
Wali also ordered that Rivers State government stop dealing with the said lawmakers, as their seats have remained vacant after they defected from the PDP that produced them.
The interim injunction was filed by the pro-Fubara Speaker, Victor Jumbo and two other Assembly members loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
The court adjourned the Rivers lawmakers case till May 29 for Motion on Notice.
Meanwhile, the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has in an Excecutive Order, temporarily relocated the Sitting of the House of Assembly to the Administrative session of the Rivers State Government House.
