Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State
It appears the political crisis rocking Rivers State is yet to be over as Justice Charles N. Wali of the High Court of Rivers State sitting in Port Harcourt has declared the seats of twenty-five lawmakers in the House of Assembly vacant.
The ruling came in a suit by the Speaker of the Assembly, Victor Oko Jumbo, along with members Sokari Goodboy and Orubienimigha Timothy.
Justice Wali issued an interim order restraining the 25 lawmakers from “parading and holding out themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly” or conducting any legislative business.
The judge also barred them from meeting or sitting at the assembly complex or anywhere else until the determination of a substantive motion on notice.
The court further barred the Governor, Deputy Governor, and other state officials from “dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or howsoever interacting with” the affected lawmakers in their capacity as assembly members.
The lawmakers’ seats were declared vacant effective from December 13, 2023.
The order read: “An Order of interim injunction is granted restraining the 1st to 25th Defendants from parading and holding out themselves as members of 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 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 Motion on Notice.
“An order of interim injunction is, hereby, made restraining the 26th to 28th Defendants from dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or howsoever 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 Motion on Notice.
“It is further Ordered that this Order, the Motion on Notice and the writ and other processes, in this case, be served on the 1st to 25th defendants/respondents within seven (7) days from date by substituted means to wit: by pasting at the entrance gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly Legislative Quarters, Off Aba Road, Port Harcourt and for such service to be deemed good and proper.”
Justice Wali adjourned the case for a hearing on the substantive motion on notice to May 29, 2024.
The development is coming amid the face-off between Governor Siminalayi Fubari and some lawmakers loyal to the state’s former governor and current Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike.
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