The Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has adjourned until January 21, 2025, to deliver a ruling on several applications in a case filed by the Labour Party (LP).
The suit, registered as FHC/PH/25/2024, seeks to have the seats of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly declared vacant following their alleged defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Labour Party, represented by its caretaker committee chairman in Rivers State, Hilda Dokubo, is also asking the court to mandate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-elections for the vacant seats, allowing all interested parties, including the Labour Party, to contest.
During the court proceedings on Wednesday, counsel for the defendants, Ferdinand Orbih (SAN), representing the embattled Speaker Martin Amaewhule and others, requested the consolidation of three separate applications.
Orbih argued that the motions all addressed similar subject matters and called for the exchange of pleadings and presentation of evidence to substantiate the claims. He urged the court to grant the consolidation request.
The Labour Party’s counsel, Clifford Chukwu, did not object to the consolidation but opposed the substance of the defendants’ applications. Chukwu argued that the defendants had failed to file further affidavits in response to the Labour Party’s counter-affidavits, effectively admitting to the facts stated in the counter-affidavits.
He urged Justice Emmanuel Obele to dismiss the motions filed by the defendants.Justice Obele, after hearing arguments from both sides, announced the adjournment of the case to January 21, 2025, for a ruling on the applications.
Speaking to journalists after the session, Chukwu emphasized the Labour Party’s stance, stating that the 27 lawmakers openly admitted their defection through various public platforms, including televised announcements.
He further revealed that affidavits and video evidence were available to substantiate the claims.
The case took another dimension as Justice Obele scheduled December 7, 2024, to hear a related suit filed by Hon. Victor Oko-Jumbo and three other lawmakers loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
This separate case also seeks to declare the seats of the defected lawmakers vacant and to restrain them from parading as members of the State House of Assembly.Commenting on the matter, Emeka Onyeka, one of the defense counsels, explained that the current proceedings focused on preliminary issues, which must be resolved before the court can address the substantive case.
He reiterated the defendants’ request for the court to order the filing of pleadings, citing the contentious nature of the issues at hand.
As the political drama unfolds, the adjournment leaves the fate of the embattled lawmakers in limbo while raising significant questions about party loyalty, legislative integrity, and the legal implications of political defections in Nigeria.
