Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dagogo Israel Iboroma has clarified that there was no declaration by a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, to the effect that Martin Amaewhule and 26 others are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Iboroma stated that there is already a misleading news in circulation on social and conventional media that Amaewhule and others are members of the PDP and the House of Assembly, stressing that the information was meant to deceive the public.
Iboroma, in a statement made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt on Monday, urged members of the public to disregard such news already making the rounds on social, print, and electronic media, emphasising that the entirety of the news is not true and has no basis in law.
The Attorney-General said as the 3rd defendant in Suit No. DHC/20/CS/2024, his attention was drawn to a recent judgment of the court to that effect.
He explained that the suit in question did not seek to declare the seats of Martin Amaewhule and 26 others in Rivers State House of Assembly vacant.
Iboroma said, “The suit of the claimants was struck out for want of locus standi and jurisdiction and also for being an abuse of court process which robbed the trial court of jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.
“As you all know, Martins Amaewhule and 26 others defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress on the 11th Day of December, 2023, and stated that much in affidavit evidence deposed to by Martins Amaewhule for himself and on behalf of 26 others in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/1681/CS/2023 before Hon. Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division. The Suit is still pending in court.
“By Section 272(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, it is only the Federal High Court that can determine whether Martins Amaewhule and 26 others are still members of Peoples Democratic Party and also members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. This much was held by the trial court.
“However, you will recall that there is a subsisting order of interlocutory injunction in Suit No.
PHC/1512/CS/2024, restraining Martins Amaewhule and his co-travellers from further parading or presenting themselves as lawmakers in Rivers State pending the determination of the substantive suit, which has not been appealed against till date,” he added.
He, therefore, urged the public to disregard the report.
