The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has vacated the order that sacked 25 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of Justices, held that the Rivers State High Court, which issued the order, lacked the requisite jurisdiction to do so.
The lawmakers, led by the embattled Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, had appealed the decision of the lower court, which restrained them from parading themselves as members of the Assembly. The court order followed a suit filed by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo, who emerged as the Speaker of the Assembly following the defection of Amaewhule and others to the APC.
The appellate court held that the Rivers State High Court acted beyond its jurisdiction when it issued the restraining order against Amaewhule and the 24 other lawmakers. The court further invalidated all the legislative actions taken by the Jumbo-led Rivers State House of Assembly.
The lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and were subsequently declared to have vacated their seats by the Rivers Assembly. However, the appellate court’s decision has now paved the way for their return to the Assembly.
