The State High Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has issued an interlocutory injunction preventing the faction of lawmakers led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule from sitting and parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The lawmakers are loyal to a former governor of the state and current FCT minister, Nyesom Wike.
The court order was given by Justice C.N. Wali in response to a suit filed by pro-Governor Siminilayi Fubara lawmakers led by their Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, alongside Sokari Goodboy and Orubienimigha Timothy.
The suit names 25 lawmakers as the primary defendants and includes the Governor of Rivers State, the Attorney-General, and the Chief Judge as the 26th to 28th defendants.
The court previously issued a similar ex-parte order on May 10th, barring the governor, attorney-general, and chief judge from interacting with the affected lawmakers.
The latest interlocutory injunction, granted on May 29th, reinforces the earlier order and sets a new court date for July 1st, 2024, for further proceedings.
Justice Wali’s ruling states: “An order of interlocutory injunction is granted restraining the 1st to 25th defendants from parading and holding out themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and/or meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located at off Aba Road Port Harcourt or at 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 substantive suit.
“An order of interlocutory injunction is hereby made restraining the 26th to 28th defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or however interacting with the 1st to 25th defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly their legislative seats having been declared vacant with effect from 13th December, 2023 pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”
