A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has restrained a former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule and 24 others from parading themselves as members of the State Assembly.

This is as the Rivers State Government also issued an Executive Order relocating the sitting of the State House of Assembly to the Auditorium of the Administrative section of Government House, Port Harcourt.

The Executive Order with reference number: RVSG 001-2023 predicated that decision to relocate the Assembly’s sitting to Government House, Port Harcourt to the burning of the hallowed chambers of the State Assembly in October 2023 by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.

The presiding judge in suit: PHC/1512/CS/2024, Justice Charles Wali issued an order of interim injunction restraining Martin Amaewhule and 24 others from parading themselves as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly or from meeting/sitting at the Auditorium of the House of Assembly Quarters located off Aba Road, Port Harcourt, or any other place whatsoever to carry out or purport to carry out the legislative business of the Rivers State House of Assembly, as their legislative seats have been declared vacant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice.

The court also restrained the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the Attorney General of the State, and the State Chief Judge, Justice Samuel Amadi from “dealing with, interfacing, accepting any resolutions, bills and/or howsoever interacting with the 1st to 25th Defendants in their purported capacities as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, their legislative seats having been declared vacant with effect from 13th December, 2023 pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice”.

The applicants in the suit are the current Speaker of the Assembly, Victor Oko-Jumbo, Deputy Speaker, Adolphus Oruibienimigha, and Majority Leader, Sokari Goodboy.

The defendants in the suit are Martin Amaewhule, Dumle Maol, Major Jack, Franklin Uchenna, Christopher Ofiks, Azeru Opara, Enemi George, Granville Wellington, Ngbar Bernard, Dominic Iderima, Queen Williams, Loolo Opuende, Abbey Peter, Igwe-Obey Aforji, Justina Emedi, Ignatius Onwuka, Chimezie Nwankwo, Lemchi Nyeche, Barile Nwakor, Emilia Amadi, Davids Okobiriari, Nwankwo Sylvanus, Gerald Oforji, And Wami Solomon, as well as the Governor, Attorney General and Chief Judge of Rivers State.

Counsels for the applicants are Sammie Somiari, SAN, B.N. Owunabo, K.O. Ogunjobl, B.S. Orupabo, O.J. Ifejika, and T. Aprioku.

Justice Wali ordered that “the Motion on Notice and the writ and other processes in this case be served on the 1st to 25th Defendants/Respondents within seven (7) days from date by substituted means to wit: by pasting at the entrance gate of the Rivers State House of Assembly Legislative Quarters, Off Aba Road, Port Harcourt and for such service to be deemed good and proper.

He thereafter adjourned the case to Wednesday, May 29, 2024 for Motion on Notice.

With the election of a new Speaker of the State Assembly and the need for legislative activities to resume in earnest, it became imperative for the formal relocation of the Assembly’s sitting to conducive place for the lawmakers to hold their sitting.