The Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has reserved April 16, 2025, for its ruling on an application concerning the potential dismissal of a defection case filed by the Labour Party against 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The Labour Party seeks to have the seats of these lawmakers, who allegedly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declared vacant.
During the proceedings, counsel for the defendants, including Speaker Martins Amaewhule, urged the court to strike out the matter, referencing a recent Supreme Court judgment.
Presenting the Certified True Copy of the verdict, he noted that the Supreme Court had restored the Amaewhule-led leadership of the Assembly, adding that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who initially raised allegations of defection, had withdrawn these claims at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In his submission, counsel for the Labour Party, Clifford Chukwu, noted that the deflection was a “collateral matter” before the Supreme Court, and urged the court not to answer prayer to strike out the matter going by evidence already before it on the defection.
It can be recalled that on February 29, the Apex court held that, in the absence of substantiated evidence, no defection had legally occurred, thereby maintaining the status quo within the Assembly.
Speaking to press shortly after the court proceedings, Chukwu, stated that he had presented his submission and that only the ruling on April 16 would determine whether the submissions by the defendants’ counsel are upheld.
