- Seeks Order Declaring Seats Vacant
By Abiola Olawale
There was a mild drama at the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt on Friday as several Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) initiated a legal action against factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and 24 other lawmakers.
The drama occurred when the case number was called out at the court for the commencement of proceedings.
After the suit number was called out, two lawyers engaged in a heated argument over who would represent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the matter. The two lawyers both laid claim to be the lead counsel to PDP.
Meanwhile, the CSOs in the suit are seeking a court declaration to render the lawmakers’ seats vacant, following their defection from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress(APC).
The CSOs argued that Amaewhule and the other 24 lawmakers had relinquished their positions following their decision to defect from the political party that facilitated their ascendancy to power.
The New Diplomat reports that Rivers State has been in the news for over eight months over the cold war between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, the incumbent Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
While the reasons for the acrimony between the duo remain top secret, some insider sources had said that Wike and Fubara had been purportedly battling for control of the oil-rich state’s resources and political machinery.
The crisis has since festered, as about 25 lawmakers of the Rivers State House of Assembly including the Speaker, Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule purportedly dumped the PDP and issued threats to impeach Fubara.
However, the lawmakers have since denied the defection rumours, saying they are still card-carry members of the PDP.
