Court Didn’t Declare Pro-Wike Lawmakers As PDP, Assembly Members – Rivers Govt

Members of the public have been told to disregard reports that the 27 pro-Wike lawmakers in Rivers State have been affirmed as members of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, on Monday said news filtering the public space is not true.

Iboroma noted that the news that the court affirmed the lawmakers were still members of PDP and RSHA was misleading, stressing that the information was meant to deceive the public.

In a statement in Port Harcourt, the Rives AG said, as the 3rd defendant in the suit Suit No. DHC/20/CS/2024, explained that the suit in question did not seek to declare the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 26 others in Rivers State House of Assembly vacant, adding that the suit was struck out on issues of jurisdiction.

READ: Rivers: Court Affirms 25 Pro-Wike Lawmakers As PDP Members

He said: “The suit of the claimants was struck out for want of locus standi and jurisdiction and also for being an abuse of court process which robbed the trial court of jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.

“As you all know, Martins Amaewhule and 26 others defected from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th Day of December 2023 and stated that much in affidavit evidence deposed to by Martins Amaewhule for himself and on behalf of 26 others in Suit No.

“FHC/ABJ/1681/CS/2023 before Hon. Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division. The Suit is still pending in court.

“By Section 272(3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, it is only the Federal High Court that can get the ermine whether Martins Amaewhule and 26 others are still members of Peoples Democratic Party and also members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This much was held by the trial court.

“However, you will recall that there is a subsisting order of interlocutory injunction in Suit No.

“PHC/1512/CS/2024, restraining Martins Amaewhule and his co-travellers from further parading or presenting themselves as lawmakers in Rivers State pending the determination of the substantive suit, which has not been appealed against till date,” he added.