BREAKING: Drama as Governor Fubara Denies Court Judgment, Details Emerge

BREAKING: Drama as Governor Fubara Denies Court Judgment, Details Emerge

  • Rivers state governor Siminalayi Fubara-led government has rejected the ruling of the state high court, saying Speaker Martins Amaewhule and 27 others are members of the PDP
  • Dagogo Israel Iboroma, the Rivers state commissioner for justice and attorney general, said the court only dismissed the case for lack of locus standi
  • However, the court earlier ruled that the state government could not present evidence that the lawmakers left the PDP for the APC, as claimed in the suit

Legit.ng journalist Bada Yusuf is an accomplished politics and current affairs editor, boasting over seven years of experience in journalism and writing.

Siminalayi Fubara-led Rivers state government has described the report that a state High Court sitting in Port Harcourt delivered a judgment declaring the 27 lawmakers led by Speaker Martins Amaewhule as members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as misleading and false.

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The Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Israel Iboroma, said the suit before the court did not seek to declare the seats of Amaewhule and 26 others vacant.

Rivers state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has denied the report that the Rivers state high court has declared that Martins Amaewhule and 26 others are PDP members and Rivers state house of assembly.
Governor Fubara debunked the court judgment, saying Martins Amaewhule's faction are members of the PDP Photo Credit: @SimFubaraKSC
Source: Twitter

He said:

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“As Hon. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and 3rd defendant in SUIT NO DHC/20/CS/2024, my attention has been drawn to a recent judgment. This suit did not seek to declare the seat of Martins Amaewhule and 26 others in the Rivers State House of Assembly vacant."

Why court strike out Governor Fubara's suit

He went on to say that the court struck out the suit over lack of locus standi and jurisdiction. The suit was also dismissed over abuse of court processes, as it denied the trial court jurisdiction to adjudicate on the case, Business Day reported.

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Group reacts as appeal court refuses to reverse removal of Amaewhule, 26 Rivers assembly members

According to the commissioner, the report that Martins Amaewhule and 26 others are members of the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is misleading.

In a ruling on Monday, June 10, the Court struck out a suit filed by Wosa Amadi and three others seeking to declare the 27 lawmakers' seats vacant following their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2003.

Delivering its judgement, the presiding judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam, ruled that Martin Amaewhule and the 26 other lawmakers are still members of the PDP.

Lawyer reacts to court judgment on Rivers lawmakers

Speaking on the court ruling with Legit.ng, a legal practitioner, Okanlawon Gaffar, said that the court is right in his judgment, adding that there was no written document that the lawmakers actually resigned

His comment reads:

"The court is right, despite the fact that the so-called members announced that their deflection announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the Rivers state of assembly.

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"There is no record at the ward level that they actually resigned their membership from the PDP and registered their membership at their ward level of the APC."

Rivers crisis: Analyst warned Gov Fubara

Legit.ng earlier reported that Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers state and current minister of the FCT, has been described as a sleeping tiger.

Okanlawon Gaffar, an analyst who commented on the political crisis in Rivers, said the former governor could be silent, but that did not mean Governor Fubara had defeated him.

Gaffar maintained that it was a stage that Wike had passed through, and there were chances that he would know how to be defeated as a godfather and how to win as well.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Bada Yusuf avatar

Bada Yusuf (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Yusuf Amoo Bada is an accomplished writer with 7 years of experience in journalism and writing, he is also politics and current affairs editor with Legit.ng. He holds B.A in Literature from OAU, and Diploma in Mass Comm. He has obtained certificates in Advance Digital Reporting, News Lab workshop, Journalism AI Discovery. He previously worked as Editor with OperaNews. Legit’s Best Editor of the Year for Politics and Current Affairs Desk (2023). Contact: bada.yusuf.amoo@corp.legit.ng