Rivers Crisis: Appeal Court Adjourns Hearing Of Pro-Wike Lawmakers’ Pleas To June 20, Orders Parties To Maintain Status Quo

An Appeal Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital has ordered the 27 Rivers State House of Assembly members loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to maintain status quo.

The appellate court gave the order at a virtual ruling held via Zoom on Friday on two Motions filed by Pro-Wike’s embattled Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December 2023.

The lawmakers had filed an appeal challenging the order of injunction granted by the Rivers State High Court, restraining them from parading themselves as lawmakers and that their acclaimed defection was invalid.

SaharaReporters had reported that Rivers State High Court Judge, Justice Okogbule Gbasam, ruled that Amaewhule and the other 26 lawmakers were still members of the PDP.

The judge ruled that the claimants failed to provide evidence of the defection, stating that party membership can only be proven through listing on the party's register or a membership card.

Justice Gbasam emphasized that mere TV ceremonies and verbal declarations are insufficient to establish defection.

Since the lawmakers' names remain on the PDP's membership register, they are still considered PDP members, the court ruled.

But the Rivers State Government denied reports that the 27 lawmakers led by Amaewhule were still members of the PDP as ordered by court, saying such an assertion was misleading and false.

The government’s position was stated by the Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Israel Iboroma.

According to him, the suit before the court did not seek to declare the seats of Amaewhule and 26 others vacant.

On Friday, the appeal court in a ruling on the first motion, granted the Appellants’ prayers for leave to compile and transmit the Records of Appeal, deeming the Appellants’ Brief of Argument as filed, accelerated hearing and a stay of further proceedings at the High Court.

However, the Appellate Court refused to grant the Appellants’ prayer for stay of execution and the setting aside of the interim order of the State High Court.

The court held that granting the Appellants’ prayer for stay of execution of the lower court order would amount to determining the appeal at this stage.

The court therefore ordered that the Appellants must maintain the present status quo pending the hearing of the appeal.

The court ordered that the Respondents are to file their briefs within 72 hours of being served.

It thereafter adjourned the hearing of the appeal to June 20.

Joshy4u:
Ahahahahah.... SIM Fubara has upgraded his network to 24G.
On Monday, all the local government chairmen will be left in the cold.
God no de sleep.

Mercenary123:
Any legal expert in the house should explain this ruling for us

Wike and fubara men are celebrating victory. Who do we believe now

Seefinish:
U

Confirmedzombie:
The LGA chairmen are going no where on the 18th.

They will remain in office. Nobody I repeat nobody can remove them.

If Fubara has 10 heads let him match his foot into the councils.

No police, Army can remove any chairman.

We are on ground at PHALGA, obio Akpir, Ikwerre, Emohua etc.

18th will be bloody, we are ready waiting for Ipob to come remove our chairman.

Fubara will be thought a lesson. I beat my chest, ipob will be destroyed on 18th June.

Fubara bring it on, we are waiting

Confirmedzombie:
The LGA chairmen are going no where on the 18th.

They will remain in office. Nobody I repeat nobody can remove them.

If Fubara has 10 heads let him match his foot into the councils.

No police, Army can remove any chairman.

We are on ground at PHALGA, obio Akpir, Ikwerre, Emohua etc.

18th will be bloody, we are ready waiting for Ipob to come remove our chairman.

Fubara will be thought a lesson. I beat my chest, ipob will be destroyed on 18th June.

Fubara bring it on, we are waiting

Oghene86:


Winter is coming, former lawmakers take heed and manage una small cash 😀 it's going to be a very long winter

Oghene86:


Guy when man is against you, you can run to God, but when nature is against you there's nothing you can do, Wike's rascality must come to an end.

Confirmedzombie:
The LGA chairmen are going no where on the 18th.

They will remain in office. Nobody I repeat nobody can remove them.

If Fubara has 10 heads let him match his foot into the councils.

No police, Army can remove any chairman.

We are on ground at PHALGA, obio Akpir, Ikwerre, Emohua etc.

18th will be bloody, we are ready waiting for Ipob to come remove our chairman.

Fubara will be thought a lesson. I beat my chest, ipob will be destroyed on 18th June.

Fubara bring it on, we are waiting

Mercenary123:
Any legal expert in the house should explain this ruling for us

Wike and fubara men are celebrating victory. Who do we believe now

asiwaju60:
Did you even understand the ruling..

TheElites19s:
What the court meant is that Martins Amaewhule is still the speaker pending still next week when the court will give the final judgement

Appeal Court as replied on the ruling of State high Court that gave judgement some days ago

"The Court of Appeal however refused to grant the prayer for stay of execution and setting aside the interim order of the Lower Court as there is a presumption of correctness of an order of a Court. It held that granting same would be tantamount to determining the appeal at this stage. The Court went on to order that the present status quo should be maintained pending the hearing of the Appeal"

TheElites19s:
What the court meant is that Martins Amaewhule is still the speaker pending still next week when the court will give the final judgement

Appeal Court as replied on the ruling of State high Court that gave judgement some days ago

"The Court of Appeal however refused to grant the prayer for stay of execution and setting aside the interim order of the Lower Court as there is a presumption of correctness of an order of a Court. It held that granting same would be tantamount to determining the appeal at this stage. The Court went on to order that the present status quo should be maintained pending the hearing of the Appeal"

Mercenary123:
. More confusion. The other guy that gave his own explanation said Amaewule is no longer the speaker while jombo is the recognize one

TheElites19s:
What the court meant is that Martins Amaewhule is still the speaker pending still next week when the court will give the final judgement

Appeal Court as replied on the ruling of State high Court that gave judgement some days ago

"The Court of Appeal however refused to grant the prayer for stay of execution and setting aside the interim order of the Lower Court as there is a presumption of correctness of an order of a Court. It held that granting same would be tantamount to determining the appeal at this stage. The Court went on to order that the present status quo should be maintained pending the hearing of the Appeal"