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The Rivers State Government has expressed dissatisfaction with the recent judgment of the Appeal Court in Abuja, which dismissed Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s appeal against the reinstatement of the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The state government, through its Attorney General, Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, insisted that the court did not reinstate Amaewhule and 26 others, arguing that their seats became vacant following their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023.
However, the Rivers government clarified that the issue of the lawmakers’ defection was never addressed in the Federal High Court or the Court of Appeal.
“By operation of law, particularly Section 109(i)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, Martin Amaewhule and 26 others automatically lost their seats as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly on the day of their defection,” said Iboroma.
The government has since directed its legal team to file an appeal with the Supreme Court and seek a stay of execution on the Appeal Court’s ruling.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal had previously ruled that Governor Fubara had no standing to challenge the pro-Wike lawmakers’ case after withdrawing his opposition at the Federal High Court.
The Appeal Court barred Fubara from further interference in the Assembly’s affairs and ordered him to re-present the state budget under Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
