The Supreme Court of Nigeria has clarified the leadership crisis in the Rivers State House of Assembly, ruling in favor of the 27 lawmakers led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule. In a detailed 62-page judgment, the apex court dismissed allegations that these lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), thereby upholding their legitimacy in the legislative body.
According to DAILY POST reports, The judgement, signed by Justice Emmanuel Agim, highlighted that there was no credible evidence supporting claims of defection. Furthermore, the court noted that Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who had initially accused the lawmakers of switching parties, later withdrew his allegations at the Federal High Court in Abuja. This withdrawal weakened the case against the lawmakers and reinforced the court’s stance that no defection had legally occurred.
One of the major findings of the court was that the Rivers State House of Assembly, as an institution, must operate in accordance with the Nigerian Constitution. Justice Agim emphasized that the Constitution does not support the governor’s position of recognizing only four lawmakers as the legitimate Assembly. He ruled that the legislative arm of the government must function as prescribed by law, with all duly elected members allowed to participate in governance.
The court also criticized Governor Fubara’s actions in preventing the Assembly from sitting and described them as unconstitutional. The ruling stated that the governor’s interference had effectively shut down the legislative arm, undermining democratic governance in Rivers State.
Additionally, the Supreme Court dismissed Fubara’s appeal, affirming that the earlier judgments of the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal were correct. It concluded that the 27 lawmakers must be allowed to resume their duties without obstruction.