Toba Owojaiye reporting
Abuja , Nigeria
In a recent development at the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja, a significant legal proceeding unfolded on Friday, the 15th day of December, 2023. The case, with Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1681/2023, involved prominent figures, including the Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule and others, who serve as the Speaker and Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
The plaintiffs, comprising the Speaker and several members, sought relief through an ex-parte motion filed on the 13th day of December, 2023.
The motion prayed for an order of interim injunction against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Rivers State House of Assembly, Clerk of Rivers State House of Assembly, Inspector General of Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS), who were named as defendants/respondents.
Truth Live News gathered that the court granted several crucial interim injunctions in favor of the plaintiffs. Firstly, it restrained the 1st and 3rd defendants (INEC and Rivers State House of Assembly) from declaring vacant the seats of the plaintiffs, withdrawing their Certificates of Return, or conducting fresh elections pending the determination of the Motion on Notice. Similarly, the 2nd defendant (PDP ) was restrained from organizing fresh elections for the seats in question.
Furthermore, the defendants were collectively prohibited from interfering with the official and legislative functions of the plaintiffs as Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The court emphasized the importance of allowing the plaintiffs to enjoy their official rights and privileges during the pending legal process.
A specific order was directed at the 5th and 6th defendants, (INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE and
DEPARTMENT OF STATE SERVICES (DSS)) instructing them not to deny security details or impede the plaintiffs from performing their constitutional legislative and oversight functions.
The court set a date for the hearing of the Motion on Notice, scheduling it for the 28th day of December, 2023. Additionally, the applicants were ordered to undertake damages in the sum of N250,000,000.00.
This legal development marks a significant step in the ongoing legal dispute involving key figures in the Rivers State House of Assembly, highlighting the court’s intervention to maintain the status quo pending a thorough examination of the matter on notice.
The “Wike Vs Sim “ battle of supremacy in Rivers state has left the state sharply divided and the courts, demolished state assembly, streets and government house has become the battleground.