Rivers Attorney-General denounces information on status of 27 embattled lawmakers
By Innocent Raphael
Rivers State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dagogo Iboroma, SAN, has addressed what he termed as recent misinformation surrounding the status of embattled 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Iboroma, who is also a defendant in the ongoing SUIT NO DHC/20/CS/2024, clarified that the suit did not aim to declare the seats of Martins Amaewhule and 26 others vacant.
According to a statement made public on Monday, he disclosed that the claimants’ case was dismissed due to lack of standing and jurisdiction, as well as being deemed an abuse of court process, which prevented the trial court from hearing the matter.
Stating that contrary to circulating reports on social media and various news outlets, Iboroma emphasized that Martins Amaewhule and the 26 other legislators are no longer members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He asserted that the lawmakers in question defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on December 11, 2023, as evidenced by an affidavit submitted by Amaewhule on behalf of the group in SUIT NO. FHC/ABJ/1681/CS/2023, currently pending before Justice Donatus Okorowo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The Attorney-General pointed out that, under section 272(3) of the amended 1999 Constitution, only the Federal High Court has the authority to determine the membership status of Amaewhule and his colleagues in the PDP and the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He added that the trial court has upheld this jurisdictional requirement.
Also, Iboroma reminded the public of an existing interlocutory injunction in SUIT NO. PHC/512/CS/2024, which prohibits Amaewhule and his associates from presenting themselves as lawmakers in Rivers State until the main suit is resolved, adding that this injunction remains unchallenged.
Iboroma further urged the public to disregard the misleading news suggesting that Amaewhule and the others have been reaffirmed as PDP members and legislators.
