Rivers Crisis: Court Reserves Judgment In Amaewhule’s Appeal

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal filed by a former speaker of the River State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 24 others against the Speaker, Victor Oko-Jumbo, and five others.

The appellate court adjourned after the parties in the suit adopted all their briefs in the matter.

At the proceeding that was conducted virtually on Thursday, Amaewhule and others are asking the court to stay execution of a high court judgement which saw them out of office and further proceedings in the suit and that whatever decisions Jumbo has taken while in office, should be set aside.

They are also asking for an accelerated hearing in the matter while contending that the order made by the trial court was without jurisdiction.

In their response, Amaewhule and others, prayed the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit because the records of appeal transmitted were incompetent.

After listening to the submission of the lawyers in the appeal, the three-man panel led by Justice Jimi Olukayode-Bada reserved a date for judgment to be communicated to parties in the suit.

The appellate court had in a ruling on June 14 ordered that all parties in the suit maintain status quo and cease every form of hostilities until the matter is heard and decided.

This was to lay to rest a motion exparte brought before the court by the appellants seeking reversal of a high court judgment that declared their seats vacant as lawmakers.

The appeal court also stopped the State High Court or any other court from entertaining the matter until it was decided.

A Rivers State High Court, in Port Harcourt, had on May 10, 2024, stopped Martin Amaewhule from parading himself as the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

The court gave the order after considering a motion brought before it by the new Speaker of the House, Victor Jumbo, and 2 others, to the effect that his seat had been declared vacant.

Justice Charles Wali, while ruling on the motion ex parte, also barred 24 other members of the Assembly from accessing the complex or carrying out any such Legislative assignment in the name of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Dissatisfied with the verdict of the State High Court, Amaewhule and others approached the appellate court.