By Austin Ogwuda
A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, presided over by Justice Charles N. Wali has declared all the 25 Rivers State Assembly members who defected from the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP in State to the All Progressives Congress APC, vacant as a result of their defection from the political party upon which they contested as platform.
The Judge stated that their legislative seats became vacant since on the 13th of December 2023, that very day they crossed carpeted.
These Assembly members who are now members of the All Progressives Congress, APC said to be loyal to the former governor of the State, Nyesome Wike were also stopped from parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly or from meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or any other place whatsoever to carry out or purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as their legislative seats have been declared vacant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.
This followed an ex-parte motion filed by the three Assembly members who formed a parallel Assembly two days ago led by its Speaker, Rt. Hon Victor Oko Jumbo who sat yesterday (Thursday) in what looked like a ‘kindergarten exercise’.
Sacked were the parallel Speaker Hon. Martin Chile Amaewhule and other 24 other legislators according to the Court papers.
Case was adjourned to the 29th of May 2024 for hearing of the Motion on Notice.
