Ismail Abdulazeez Mantu Reporting
The Appeal Court has upheld the decision that the Federal High Court is the sole authority to determine the legality of decampments, leaving the seats of the 27 sacked Rivers State lawmakers vacant.
This ruling came after the court decided against the Rivers High Court’s proceedings, which had earlier weighed in on the matter.
The appeal did not address the core issue of whether the decampments were illegal or if the declaration of the seats as vacant was valid. Instead, it focused on jurisdiction, underscoring that only the Federal High Court possesses the authority to make such determinations.
The legal controversy originated from actions taken by the former Speaker, Edison Ehi, who led the House in voting to declare the seats of the 27 lawmakers vacant. This decision remains valid and continues to be a subject of ongoing litigation. As it stands, no court has nullified the House’s actions, and the 27 legislative seats remain unoccupied.
Adding to the political drama, the tenure of the local government chairmen in question has expired, with no extensions granted. The spokesperson for the G60 Federal Opposition Lawmakers Coalition, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, confirmed that the expired tenures cannot be extended.