Court of Appeal Adjourns Rivers State Assembly Crisis to June 21

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has adjourned the hearing of the case involving the ongoing crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly to June 21. The court’s decision to adjourn the case comes amid the political crisis in the state, with the court ordering the parties involved to maintain the status quo.

The crisis began when 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023. A Rivers State High Court, in Port Harcourt, had on May 10, 2024, stopped Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The court gave the order in a suit filed by Hon. Martin Amaewhule and 24 others (Appellants) against Rt Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo and others.

Justice Charles Wali of the State High Court had also ordered Amaewhule and 24 others to stop parading as speaker and lawmakers in the legislative arm of the state. The Court also held that all the laws made by Amaewhule and others were in nullity until the determination of the matter.

The Court of Appeal, in a ruling on the first motion, granted the Appellants’ prayers for leave to compile and transmit the Records of Appeal, deeming the Appellants’ Brief of Argument as filed, accelerated hearing, and a stay of further proceedings at the High Court. However, the Appellate Court refused to grant the Appellants’ prayer for stay of execution and the setting aside of the interim order of the State High Court.

The court held that granting the Appellants’ prayer for stay of execution of the lower court order would amount to determining the appeal at this stage. The court therefore ordered that the Appellants must maintain the present status quo pending the hearing of the appeal.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has also reserved judgment in the appeal filed by former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 24 others against Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo and five others. The appeal is challenging a high court judgment that declared their seats vacant and sought to set aside decisions made by Jumbo while in office.

The appeal court had earlier ordered all parties to maintain status quo and cease hostilities until the matter is heard and decided. The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt has scheduled a ruling for June 14, 2024, regarding a case filed by Martin Amaewhule, on behalf of twenty-six others, challenging the decision of the Rivers State High Court, which favored Speaker Victor Oko-Jumbo.

The ongoing crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly highlights the complex political dynamics in Nigeria and the challenges faced by the judiciary in resolving disputes within the political sphere.