The Supreme Court is set to deliver its judgment on the defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a case that has deepened the political crisis in the state.
The apex court had earlier reserved judgment on five appeals related to the leadership tussle in the Rivers Assembly, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara challenging the legitimacy of the faction led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule.
At its last sitting, a Supreme Court panel led by Justice Uwani Abba-Aji dismissed an appeal filed by Fubara regarding the legality of re-presenting the 2024 state budget before Amaewhule’s leadership. The case was struck out after Fubara’s counsel, Yusuf Ali (SAN), withdrew the suit, arguing that it had become irrelevant.
Fubara has maintained that Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and should, therefore, lose their legislative seats. The Supreme Court’s impending judgment is expected to provide clarity on the legality of their positions in the Assembly.
