The Rivers State Government has reiterated its stance on the recent defection of Martin Amaewhule and 26 other lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a statement released on Thursday by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Israel Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, the government emphasized that the defecting lawmakers have automatically vacated their seats as mandated by Section 109(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, which stipulates that lawmakers who change political parties lose their seats.
Iboroma clarified that the issue of the lawmakers’ defection has not been presented before either the Federal High Court or the Court of Appeal, meaning no court has validated their continued membership in the House of Assembly following their switch in allegiance. He noted that the legal matters currently before the Federal High Court and subsequent appeals relate specifically to the 2023 Appropriation Law and the National Assembly’s involvement in Rivers State’s legislative functions, rather than the status of the defected lawmakers.
In light of the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of the state’s appeal regarding the 2023 Appropriation Law, Iboroma criticized what he called a “wave of false reports” that suggested Amaewhule and his colleagues still hold seats in the Assembly. “This is patently untrue,” he stated.
Furthermore, the Attorney General announced that the state government plans to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court and will file an application for a stay of execution to preserve the current status quo. Governor Siminalayi Fubara has urged the citizens of Rivers State to disregard misleading reports concerning the court’s judgment and assured them that appropriate legal actions are being taken to address the issue.