Court of Appeal to Rule on Rivers Political Crisis

The Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt is set to deliver a ruling on the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State. The case revolves around the defection of 27 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the subsequent legal battles that ensued.

The lawmakers, led by Speaker Martin Chile Amaewhule, defected from the PDP to the APC at the height of the political crisis between former Governor Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara. The defection led to a series of legal actions, with the PDP seeking to declare the seats of the defecting lawmakers vacant in accordance with Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution.

The legal battle has been intense, with several court rulings and appeals. The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt fixed March 18, 2024, to hear a suit seeking to sack the 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected from the PDP to the APC. The suit contends that by the provisions of Section 109 of the 1999 Constitution, the lawmakers must lose their seats in the Assembly having abandoned the party on which they were elected into the legislature.

The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, has also been involved in the case. On April 25, 2024, the court reserved judgment in a case brought by Anabs Sara-Igbe and nine others against a previous ruling by Justice Chinwendu Nworgu of the Rivers State High Court. The earlier ruling dismissed their suit against President Bola Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Martin Amaewhule, and two others for lack of jurisdiction.

On June 2, 2024, the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt is expected to rule on an application brought by pro-Wike members lawmakers, led by Martins Amaewhule, against the decision of a Rivers State High Court stopping them from parading as members of the State Assembly.

The political crisis in Rivers State has been a major topic of discussion, with various stakeholders and analysts offering their perspectives. Public affairs analyst Ken Okolugbo has warned that Governor Fubara’s handling of Justice Kayode Omotosho’s judgement may have unintended consequences. In an interview with TVC, Okolugbo cautioned that Fubara’s failure to appeal the judgement or acknowledge its implications could lead to further confusion and uncertainty.

The Court of Appeal’s ruling on June 2, 2024, is eagerly anticipated as it could have significant implications for the political landscape in Rivers State.