The Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt today Monday affirmed that Speaker Martin Amaewhule and 26 other members of the House of Assembly remained members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In a judgement in Port Harcourt earlier this morning, Justice Okogbule Gbasam ruled that as the 26 majority lawmakers were still members of PDP, they had not lost their seats.
In as much as the 26 lawmakers and the Speaker had not lost their legislative seats, the state government under Governor Simi Fubara was bound by the laws made by them as the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Furthermore, the court ruled that the claimants failed to prove that Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers, had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Judge further held that membership of a party was only proven by being listed on the party’s register, or by membership card.
According to him, television ceremonies and or verbal statements, were not enough to determine an individual’s party membership.
The court held that the Rivers State Government was bound to obey all laws passed by the Assembly, as the members were still members of the PDP.
In the court’s judgement, the names of the supposed cross-carpeting lawmakers were still obtained in the PDP’s membership register as provided by the party.
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had a fortnight ago issued an interlocutory injunction barring the 25 PDP-to-APC defected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly from parading themselves as members of the House.
The 27 lawmakers had announced their defection to the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC in December 2023, with opponents demanding that their seats should be declared vacant.
Fubara had also withdrawn recognition for the majority lawmakers, preferring to deal with a five-man assembly led by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo.
The suit was instituted by Hycenth Amadi and others, with defendants as majority Speaker Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule and 26 others.
Other defendants were  the Governor of Rivers State, the Attorney General of Rivers State and Rivers State House of Assembly as defendants.
A Federal High Court presided over Justice Kolawole Omotosho had previously ruled that the Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers loyal to Nyesom Wike were still bonafide members of the Rivers House of Assembly.
